Bittersweet Journey
by xxIAmTheSkyxx
Summary: The worlds are all saved and all the monsters are gone...but of course, a hero's work is never done. As our friends eventually find out...
1. PARTY!

_**Hi! xxIAmTheSkyxx here! This isn't my first fanfic, but it's the first one I posted online! Hope you enjoy the twists and turns in my story! (I mean it structure-wise xD) **_

**Thanks to Sora and his friends, the worlds are saved from being swallowed by darkness for good. Since now the worlds are peaceful, the heroes are spending time at their leisure. All the worlds-saving that they (mostly Sora) had to do, they thought they deserved a break. And so, they all decided to meet up for a huge bonfire party on Destiny Islands, because what other place is better for a bonfire than a beach?**

**Ch. 1 PARTY!**

_**Sora**__:_ *throws his hands up* Yes! Party time! They'll be here any minute!

_**Riku**_: *carrying wood for the bonfire* Which means that you could help out just a little. Even heroes like you who saved the worlds need to do meager chores.

_**Kairi**_: I'm going to have to agree with him on that one. *spreads tablecloths*

_**Sora**_: Aw, come on.

_**Kairi**_: If you're not going to work for your own party, then I'm going to tell your mom to cancel it! You're the whole reason we're even having it!

_**Sora**_: No! No! Not my party! _(I saved the worlds twice for this party!)_

_**Riku**_: Then get to work, you dummy.

_**Sora**_: *sigh* Fine.

_**Kairi**_: Get the food from your mom and get to it.

_**Sora**_: Yeah, yeah. *walks to his house* Hey, Mom, where's the food?

_**Sora's Mom**_: *from the second floor* It's on the kitchen counter! Careful with the nachos, the cheese is still hot.

_**Sora**_: Yeah, I'll be careful. *picks up the nachos and heads outside* Hey guys, I got the main dish!

_**Riku**_: Nachos? _(Blech, Sora likes nachos?)_

_**Kairi**_: Wow, I didn't know you liked nachos.

_**Sora**_: *puts it on a picnic table* Me neither. The King invited me to his castle for dinner a while ago and they served nachos. I tried some and I cleared the whole platter. _(That and half of the second serving.)_

_**Riku**_: You know, with you being such a glutton it's hard to believe that you're still slim.

_**Sora**_: *chuckles* Well, what can I say? I just have a good metabolism.

_**Kairi**_: Yeah, or you secretly work out or something.

_**Sora**_: You really think I would do that just to look good?  
><em><strong>Riku<strong>_: Well, _I_ think so.

_**Sora**_: Thanks a bunch, Riku.

_**Riku**_: No problem. *hears a whoosh and turns around* Hey, it's Roxas and Naminè.

_**Sora**_: Really? *turns to see them walk out of the Corridor of Darkness* Oh, you're here! Glad you could make it! How's Twilight Town?

_**Roxas**_: *closes the corridor* It's been great. Hayner is up to his old tricks again, and Pence and Olette are both just as studious as ever.

_**Naminè**_: *giggle* You haven't changed a bit, Sora.

_**Sora**_: Not since you rummaged inside my head and heart! *laughs* Yeah, it's good to be me.

_**Roxas**_: So, Sora, how good are you with the Keyblade now? Getting any better?  
><em><strong>Sora<strong>_: Yeah, I bet I could beat you in a swordfight any day.

_**Roxas**_: Oh, yeah? *summons Oathkeeper* Bring it!

_**Sora**_: You're on! *summons Ultima Weapon* *they start sparring*

_**Kairi**_: *sigh* They'll never learn.

_**Naminè**_: Oh, Roxas! Put the drinks down first! You're going to spill them!

_**Roxas**_: Oh, yeah. *jumps away from Ultima Weapon and hands the drinks to Naminè* Here.

_**Naminè**_: *takes the drinks* Can't you guys do this some other time? We _do_ have a party to start, you know.

_**Sora**_: *calls out* No way! I'm going to prove right here, right now, that Roxas is the weakling, not me!

_**Roxas**_: Who're you calling a weakling? *rushes at Sora and swings Oathkeeper, but Sora easily blocks it with Ultima Weapon*

_**Sora**_: *teasing* Who else is there?

_**Roxas**_: *genuinely mad* Grrrr! *slashes at him*

_**Sora**_: *blocks all of his moves while laughing* And _he's_ the one telling _me_ to practice!

_**Kairi**_: *groans* Sora…

_**Naminè**_: Relax, Kairi. *looks at Roxas, lying on the ground exhausted with Sora standing victoriously over him*

_**Sora**_: *smiling with a peace sign* Victory!

_**Roxas**_: You caught me off guard! *sits up* And you used magic! I thought we agreed to not using magic!

_**Sora**_: *sheepish* Right. Sorry about that; I got too into it. *helps him up*

_**Roxas**_: *smiles* So, No Contest?

_**Sora**_: *laughs* No Contest.

_**Naminè**_: *looks back at Kairi* You know, now that I mention it, he never did manage to control his anger.

_**Kairi**_: Yeah, Sora knows how to get him mad.

_**Naminè**_: He knows everything about Roxas, remember? Like how you know me, and all that vice versa.

_**Kairi**_: *giggle* No argument there.*looks around* Hey, have you seen Riku around?

_**Naminè**_: I haven't seen him.

_**Kairi**_: Hey, Sora, Roxas! You guys see where Riku went?

_**Sora**_: He's talking with Ventus and his friends. We said hey already.

_**Kairi**_: Really? We'll go say hi too! Then let's go to my house and get some shells to make charms, Naminè.

_**Naminè**_: Sure. *waves at the guys* See you guys later!

_**Sora**_: *waves back* See you! *they leave*

_**Roxas**_: It's still so creepy that Ventus looks exactly like me!

_**Sora**_: Um, actually, Roxas, _you_ look like _him_.

_**Roxas**_: Yeah, well, I still think it's weird.

_**Ventus**_: Hey, Sora, you have any more nachos left?

_**Sora**_: I don't know. Want me to check?

_**Ventus**_: Thanks. *Sora runs off*

_**Terra**_: You know, you can ease up on the nachos. Not everyone is here yet.

_**Riku**_: Heh, now I see how Sora rubbed off of you.

_**Ventus**_: Not like he had a choice, now did he?

_**Aqua**_: No, we can't blame him for that. *laughs* But it's still fun to think about.

_**Ventus**_: Not to mention Sora looking like Vanitas. When I first met him, I thought Vanitas came back from the dead wanting revenge on me.

_**Aqua**_: But Ven, Vanitas didn't die. He just stopped existing.

_**Ventus**_: Is that right? No wonder he faded into oblivion when I destroyed him.

_**Aqua**_: *sweat drop* _(You forgot already?)_

_**Sora**_: *running back* Hey! Ven! My mom said that there're no more chips, but she's going to go buy some more.

_**Ventus**_: All right, awesome.

_**Sora**_: So, what were you guys talking about?

_**Aqua**_: Oh, just talking about how much Vanitas looked like you. And how much Ventus freaked out after he got his heart back and saw you because you look like Vanitas.

_**Sora**_: *laughs* Oh, yeah, I remember. I was pretty surprised myself. *slaps Ventus on the back* I find this guy looking so much like Roxas, and on top of that he tries to kill me when I give his heart back, calling me Vanitas. I had no idea what he was talking about, and he said not to lie to him.

_**Terra**_: *chuckles* Stubborn little Ven. *Ven blushes*

_**Riku**_: And if Kairi weren't there, you would have been gone for good.

_**Sora**_: Yeah, she can do other things than fight. Plus, I haven't been able to Drive anymore ever since then because he tore my jacket and pants. I'm going to stop off at Yen Sid's castle later in order to get it fixed.

_**Ventus**_: Yeah, I'm still sorry about that.

_**Sora**_: And I told you to cool it. It doesn't matter; it's repairable.

**Flashback**

_Sora__: Hey, guys, I found him! He's here!_

_Riku__: How do you know that? _

_Sora__: I don't know. I just do. I feel him._

_Terra__: I hope you're ready to do what you're about to do._

_Sora__: Yeah. I know. I'm ready. *grips Kairi's hand* Don't let go of me._

_Kairi__: Right._

_*They enter the room*_

_Aqua__: *gasp* Ven! *runs to Ven's body and holds him in her arms* You'll be back soon, I promise, Ven._

_Sora__: __(Whoa! He looks exactly like Roxas, except in different clothes!)_

_Terra__: Step back, Aqua. _

_*Aqua reluctantly steps back while Terra summons his Keyblade*_

_Terra__: You ready, Sora?_

_Sora__: *steps up to Ventus* I'm ready._

_Terra__: All right._

_Kairi__: *trying to be brave* I'll hold onto you, Sora. Don't worry._

_Sora__: *grins back at her* I never did._

_Terra__: Hurry. Time is running out._

_Sora__: Got it. *prepares himself*_

_Terra__: Here we go. *points his Keyblade at Sora's heart. A beam flashes from the Keyblade and connects with Sora's heart and releases it. A bright light emerges and returns to Ventus' body. Sora disappears in a flash of light as Ventus awakens*_

_Ventus__: *opens his eyes* …Huh? Where am I? *looks up* Terra? Aqua?_

_Aqua__: Ven! You're back! *hugs him*_

_Ventus__: *dazed* Wh-what's going on?_

_Terra__: We'll explain later. We have to leave._

_Kairi__: But Sora! What about Sora? _

_Aqua__: Don't worry, Kairi, I'm sure he-huh? *looks up to see Roxas materializing where Sora was standing* __(__*sweat drop* __Wait, who is he? He looks exactly like Ven!)_

_Roxas__: Huh? *looks around* I exist again…? Wait, but that means-_

_Kairi__: *realizes what happened and wells up with emotion* Sora! Come back! _

_Roxas__: No way…*clenches his fists* This didn't happen. I'm not really here! *shouts into the air* Sora! Stop hiding and show yourself!_

_*A bunch of Heartless appear*_

_*They all summon their Keyblades ready to take out the Heartless*_

_Kairi__: Wait! Hold on a minute!_

_Riku__: What? They could attack us any minute!_

_Kairi__: Listen! Only attack the ones that attack you!_

_Terra__: What? Why?_

_Roxas__: How come? Is there a trick to it or something?_

_Kairi__: Just do it! Please!_

_Ventus__: *looks at Aqua* Uh, can we trust her? I still don't even know what's going on. *glances at Roxas* __(That guy looks exactly like me…that's weird.)_

_Aqua__: She's a friend of the one who carried your heart. You can believe her._

_Ventus__: What? Friend of the one who carried my heart…wait, is she__-__does that mean__-__?_

_Aqua__: Yes. She knows what she is doing. Let's do what she says. _

_Ventus__: Well…if you say so._

_Terra__: Brace yourselves!_

_*The Heartless leap at them save one Shadow, who is wandering about frantically as if it was lost*_

_Kairi__: *points at the confused Shadow* I found him!_

_Riku__: What? That's Sora?_

_Kairi__: Yes! It's him; I know it is!_

_Aqua__: Well, let's take care of this quickly!_

_Ventus__: Uh, right!_

_*They destroy all the Heartless and run to Kairi*_

_Riku__: Kairi…how are you gonna…_

_Kairi__: Don't worry. I did it once; I can do it again if I have to._

_Terra__: …_

_Aqua__: Let's not waste any more time. Do what you have to do!_

_Kairi__: *nods* Right. *looks back at the Shadow which has fallen over and lying still, dazed* Please come back, Sora. *kneels next to it and touches it*_

_Ventus__:…Nothing…_

_Aqua__: No. Wait._

_Everyone else: ?_

_Aqua__: Watch._

_*There is a bright flash of light. The Shadow disappears and Sora is seen laying in its place, unconscious*_

_Riku__: She…she did it…Sora's back…_

_Ventus__: … __(No way…it can't be…it's him….I thought I defeated him!)_

_Aqua__: Thank goodness…_

_Kairi__: *tearfully touching his forehead* ….You're back. *Sora stirs*_

_Sora__: …..? *slowly opens his eyes* Kairi….? I'm back?_

_Kairi__: Yes…you're back. I'm so glad you're okay! *hugs him abruptly*_

_Sora__: Whoa, hey! *laughs, sits up and looks at Terra* Did it work?_

_Terra__: Sure did. Nicely done, Keyblade Master._

_Sora__: Heh heh. Nothing to it. *notices Ventus and holds out a hand* Hey there, nice to meet you. Name's Sora._

_Ventus__: *freaking out* …Y-you…when did you…._

_Sora__: *confused* Huh?_

_Ventus__: *completely snaps* AAGGHH! GO AWAY! *swings Wayward Wind at Sora*_

_Sora__: Whoa! *barely blocks it in time with Ultima Weapon* What's wrong with you?_

_Ventus__: *frantically keeps slashing at Sora, who is forced to dodge* You won't get me again, Vanitas!_

_Sora__: __(What's wrong with this guy? He's a total looney! I was holding __this__ guy's heart this whole time?) __Vanitas? Who's that? I'm not Vanitas, whoever he is!_

_Ventus__: *crazed with paranoia* Don't lie to me! _

_*They continue fighting despite Sora's protests. Ventus swings again and again, tearing Sora's clothes*_

_Sora__: Aaahh! My clothes! Now what do I do! __(Damn, I can't Drive anymore! He's strong, too!)_

_Ventus__: *pauses* What the…? __(Weird….Vanitas wouldn't worry about how he looked. Looks like he's a bit fashion-conscious.)_

_Kairi__: HEY! HOW DARE YOU ATTACK SORA! *punches Ventus clear across the room*_

_Ventus__: *crashes into the far wall* Ugh…_

_Kairi__: *fist held up, vein twitching* Don't mess with Sora, or you answer to me!_

_Sora__: *sweat drop* __(Whoa. She's scary when she's mad. I'd better not become a two-timer when the time comes or else she'll kill me.)_

_Roxas__: *sweat drop, smiles nervously* __(I sure hope Naminè isn't like that.)_

_Aqua__: Ventus, stop that this instant! That's not Vanitas!_

_Ventus__: What? He's not? __(Ack, she's using my full name. She's getting serious.)_

_Aqua__: Vanitas doesn't exist anymore! You defeated him! This is Sora!_

_Ventus__: Huh? *looks at Sora and compares him to Vanitas in his head* __(Erk! __*sweat drop* __No way! They look exactly the same!)_

_Aqua__: Apologize to him right now, Ven! How could you attack him from out of nowhere like that?_

_Ventus__: __(Sheesh, quit acting like you're my mom.) __*scratches his head in embarrassment and holds out a hand* Er…I'm sorry for attacking you._

_Sora__: *takes his hand and is pulled upright* No, it's okay, don't sweat it. __(Thanks a bunch, Aqua. Saved me a beating or ten.)_

_Ventus__: Oh, um, sorry about your clothes, too. __(Have to admit, they look cool, even when it's ripped.)_

_Sora__: It's fine, no problem. I can get the Fairies to fix it._

_Ventus__: *sweat drop* Huh? Fairies?_

_Riku__: That outfit of his isn't ordinary. It has special powers and increases Sora's strength when he uses them. *Sora nods*_

_Ventus__: No way! For real? Oh my God! I'm so sorry! Don't hate me! Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry!_

_Sora__: *sweat drops as he is trying to calm him down* No, it's okay! Don't worry about it! Chill out! Calm down! Relax!_

_Riku__: __(….He's just like Sora when he makes a mistake.)__ *sigh*_

**End Flashback**

_**Sora**_: *chuckle* Good times.

_**Riku**_: I wouldn't exactly call it a good time. We were freaking out thinking that you weren't ever going to come back.

_**Sora**_: Yeah, but you had nothing to worry about. You should have more faith in Kairi.

_**Ventus**_: That's true. I still remember the beating that Kairi gave me.

_**Sora**_: Yeah. I also remember you freaking out because you thought I would hate you after you ruined my outfit.

_**Ventus**_: Yep. I even offered to fix it myself, but you said that if I did, the outfit would look tacky and it would lose its powers and become an ordinary outfit, and you didn't want either of that. *laughs* You just can't stand being normal, can you, Sora? Not to mention you insulted my sewing skills.

_**Sora**_: *chuckles and shakes his head* Nope. Not anymore. And I'm sorry about that, really. *A Shadow and Dusk suddenly pop up in front of him* Whoa!

_**Riku**_: *sigh*Man, these things are annoying. They're like flies and mosquitoes at a summer barbecue.

_**Ventus**_: You get rid of them, Sora.

_**Sora**_: What? Why me?

_**Ventus**_: *matter-of-factly* Because they appeared in front of you.

_**Sora**_: (What kind of excuse is that?) Ugh, fine. *summons Kingdom Key and eliminates the Shadow and Dusk without a glance* Seems like there still are sinners out there in the worlds.

_**Aqua**_: You can't force them to change, Sora.

_**Sora**_: Nah, I guess not. *stretches* When is Axel coming?

_**Ventus**_: He said that he probably can't make it today.

_**Sora**_: Huh? Why not?

_**Ventus**_: He had to go on a business trip to Neverland.

_**Roxas**_: Man, why does he have to be a realtor, anyway?

_**Riku**_: Hey, he had to find a job right? He's really smart too.

_**Roxas**_: I guess. *groan* But he was supposed to bring Sea-Salt Ice Cream for the party! Aw, man, I was really looking forward to those.

_**Sora**_: From what I've had, they're really good. You had one pretty much every day when you were with the Organization, right?

_**Roxas**_: Yeah. Axel treated me after missions at the clock tower in Twilight Town.

_**Sora**_: Really?

_**Roxas**_: Yep. I once got a Winner stick!

_**Sora**_: No way! I heard that they were super hard to get! Did you get an extra ice cream, Roxas?

_**Roxas**_: Nah. I gave it to Axel. He was my best friend in the Organization after all.

_**Ventus**_: Hm, makes sense.

_**Sora**_: Huh, it's funny. When I met you, you had already left the Organization.

_**Roxas**_: You were mostly asleep getting your memories back while I was in the Organization. The process of putting your memories back together kinda gave me an off day. Well, more like off days. Once I was asleep for 3 weeks because of that! 3 whole weeks!

_**Sora**_: *chuckles* Like I knew that all that was happening. I was asleep for a whole year, remember? The whole time you were in the Organization and longer even.

_**Ventus**_: Hah! But you can't top my record-I was asleep for ten years!

_**Terra**_: Uh, Ven, I don't think that you should be proud of that.

_**Ventus**_: Why not? It's a record! *everyone laughs* Right?

*Kairi and Naminè come running*

_**Kairi**_: Sora!

_**Sora**_: Yeah, what's up?

_**Naminè**_: Your mom said that it's time to clean up. The rest of us have to leave soon.

_**Sora**_: Really? Man, time flies…

_**Terra**_: *gets up* Well, we had lots of fun reminiscing tonight. We can hang out some more tomorrow. The Land of Departure awaits.

**Roxas**: Me and Naminè have to get back to Twilight Town. We'll see you guys later.

_**Sora**_: Right! Meet up at Yen Sid's Tower tomorrow morning!

_**Roxas**_: Right, we'll see you then and there! Later!

*Roxas opens a Corridor of Darkness and walks through it with Naminè. Terra, Ventus, and Aqua activate their Keyblade Gliders and shoot off into the sky*

_**Sora**_: Wow, I wish I had one of those. Much cooler than the Gummi Ship.

_**Riku**_: Not a chance. But I do wish that I could still use the Corridor of Darkness. It was so efficient.*stands* Well, looks like we have to get back home, too. We'll see you tomorrow, Sora.

_**Kairi**_: Bye, Sora! See you tomorrow!

_**Sora**_: See you! *cleans up the mess with magic and runs home* Mom, I'm home! Sorry that I was out so late. I lost track of time….reminiscing.

_**Sora's Mom**_: *laughs* Welcome home, Sora. *looks at Sora's torn, dirty clothes* Oh, Sora, you should take better care of your clothes when you're wandering the islands since they can save your life!

_**Sora**_: Heh heh, right. Sorry. _(I'd better keep quiet that Ven did it or else she won't let me out of the house again.)_ Don't worry about it, Mom, I'm going to get it fixed tomorrow with the guys.

_**Sora's Mom**_: All right then. But I'm going to wash it at least. Go change and go to bed. Put it next to your door. It'll be ready by tomorrow.

_**Sora**_: Okay, thanks. Good night mom!

_**Sora's Mom**_: You too.

*Sora goes up to his room and changes into his nightclothes. He takes his clothes and puts them next to his door*

_**Sora**_: Man, today was tiring. *stretches out on his bed* I should get some sleep. *closes his eyes, then opens them with a start, realizing something* Aw, man! We never had the bonfire!

* * *

><p><strong><em>Well, there it is. My first chapter of the Kingdom Hearts Parody series. I don't think I'll ever run out of material for Kingdom Hearts, with it having so much detail and the like, thanks to Tetsuya Nomura. I hope you liked it!<em>**


	2. Unseen Void

**_Hey again, this is my second chapter! I don't know if I should be doing intros like this since I've posted about 12 chapters in one day since I've been sitting on this story for so long, but I will anyway! Hope you enjoy this chapter!_**

**Well, the gang had a blast last night at the party. Except for the fact that it was supposed to be a bonfire party and they never had bonfire, which defeated the purpose of calling it so. Well, too little, too late, what's done is done. Today Sora and the gang are going to Yen Sid's Castle in Twilight Town so he can fix his clothes. When they're done with that, they'll have some bad news. I wonder what it could be….read on!**

**Ch. 2 Unseen Void**

**At the Train Station in Twilight Town**

_**Riku**_: Sora, just sit down! Just watching you pace makes me tired.

_**Sora**_: *pauses in his pacing* But I don't want to! When are Roxas and Naminè coming here anyway? They're the ones that live here!

_**Kairi**_: They're just probably held up with some important business. Or maybe they just lost track of time doing something else. If you can't stand for waiting for so long, you should have brought a book or something to keep you occupied.

_**Sora**_: Yeah, I actually would have brought a book or a game, but I figured that since Roxas and Naminè live here anyway, they'd be here before us.

_**Riku**_: Well, that's your fault for assuming that. You know that Roxas isn't the most punctual person around.

_**Sora**_: Well, yeah, but…

_**Riku**_: There's no point in complaining about that now. Let's just wait for the time being.

**3 1/2 Hours Later**

_**Roxas**_: *comes running in* Hey, sorry that we're late! We lost track of time while talking with Olette about school stuff. _(That's the lamest excuse ever.)_

_**Naminè**_: What Roxas is _actually_ trying to say is that he was playing around with his radio and broke it and he tried to fix it, but it got even worse, so I convinced him to talk to the mechanic nearby. By the time we got there, it was way past the meeting time and we weren't even ready yet. Sorry.

_**Sora**_: Well, it's to be expected of Roxas, I guess. *laughs*

_**Roxas**_: *trying to hide his embarrassment* Uh, um, where's everyone else?

_**Riku**_: They're not here yet. They live pretty far, you know.

_**Kairi**_: Well, if they left the same time that we did, they'll be here real soon.

_**Sora**_: *throws his fists up in the air* Finally! No more waiting for hours! *everyone else sweat drops*

_**Roxas**_: _(He automatically thinks that it's gonna happen like that…)_

**15 Minutes Later**

_**Ventus**_: *waves from high above* Heeeeeeeey! We're here!

_**Sora**_: *looks up to see the three of them coming down from the sky then looks at the group* Hey guys! Ventus, Terra and Aqua are here! _(Finally!)_

_**Riku**_: Good, they're here. Now we can buy tickets.

_**Roxas**_: What kept them?

_**Kairi**_: Nothing did, Roxas. They live far away, remember?

_**Roxas**_: *remembers* Oh, that's right.

_**Sora**_: *walks up to them while they deactivate their Gliders* Hey, morning, guys! How was your flight?

_**Aqua**_: It went without any hitches! …Well, save the moment when we got into Twilight Town and a pigeon hit Ventus in the face.

_**Terra**_: *chuckles* He spent a good 5 minutes spitting out feathers.

_**Ventus**_: I don't think that they're all out yet. *spits out a downy feather* Okay. Now I'm good. Now I just feel bad for that pigeon.

_**Naminè**_: Well, you're both okay. Even the pigeon that's short a few feathers.

_**Sora**_: *laughs* All right, then; I'm going to buy the tickets. Everyone bring their money?

*Everyone shows their Munny pouches*

_**Sora**_: All right! Tickets cost 300 Munny. There are…*counts the number of people* 8 people here. So, I need 2,400 Munny. Everyone, get 300 Munny.

*Everyone takes out 300 Munny from their pouches and gives them to Sora*

_**Sora**_: Cool! *talks to the receptionist* 8 student tickets please! *gets the 8 tickets* Okay, we got the tickets. Now let's go pay Yen Sid a visit!

**On the Train**

_**Roxas**_: Okay, he had an eye patch and used Arrowguns as his weapons! Not to mention a foul mouth.

_**Sora**_: _(Hah, this is an easy one!)_ It's….Xigbar!

_**Roxas**_: Man, you got it! You're good at this.

_**Sora**_: Okay, my go. Hm, let's see…He was a pirate without a-

_**Roxas**_: -hand! Easy, it's Captain Hook!

_**Sora**_: *laughs* Nope. It's Captain Jack Sparrow!

_**Roxas**_: Hey, no fair! I've never been to Port Royal!

_**Sora**_: Fair is fair. It was a totally legit question. And I thought I told you about Port Royal already. It's your fault for forgetting!

_**Roxas**_: Aw, man!

_**Naminè**_: *watching the whole scene* Roxas never was all that good with games.

_**Kairi**_: *rolls her eyes* For Sora, playing games and reading are his hobbies. It's pretty easy to notice.

_**Aqua**_: *laughs* Kind of a strange mix of preferences, don't you think?

_**Terra**_: Don't forget about Ven. He likes both sweet and bitter foods, but hates spicy, salty, and sour foods.

_**Ventus**_: Hey, it's a nice balance of good and bad. So it's natural. Spicy and sour foods flare up my taste buds too much.

_**Kairi**_: If you don't like salty or spicy food, why do you like nachos?

_**Ventus**_: Hmm, let's just call that an exception.

*sudden commotion causes everyone to look up*

_**Roxas**_: *clatter!* Aagh! I resign! You're too good!

_**Sora**_: *laughs triumphantly* Yeah, that's right! *peace sign* Victory once again!

_**Riku**_: *sweat drop* Uh, Sora?

_**Sora**_: *looks at him* Yeah?

_**Riku**_: Where'd you get that? *gestures at the 19X19 go board between Sora and Roxas*

_**Sora**_: Oh, it was one of the games available on the train. I recently learned how to play and I challenged Roxas. He thought he could win because it was a strategy game. _(He thought I was too stupid to win. Big mistake!)_

_**Roxas**_: I swear, every game he plays with me is rigged! I bet if I played with someone else, I'd win for a change!

_**Sora**_: Is that right? *looks around* Hey, Ven!

_**Ventus**_: looks up* Huh?

_**Sora**_: Come here for a sec.

_**Ventus**_: * walks up* What's up?

_**Sora**_: Can you play go?

_**Ventus**_: _(Huh? Go? Why did this come up?)_ Er, yeah, I know how to play. Why?

_**Sora**_: Because Roxas thinks that he can win against someone other than me. He won't admit that he just sucks at games.

_**Ventus**_: *smirks* Huh, is that so? So you think you're good? All right! Let's get this done! *sits down*

_**Aqua**_: *sweat drop* _(Sora just sparked Ven's competitive side. I hope no one gets hurt.)_

_**Ventus**_: *bow* Please.

_**Roxas**_: *bow* Please. _(I'm going to win for sure this time!)_

*They start playing*

**One Hour Later**

_**Roxas**_: Darn! I lost by half a point!

_**Ventus**_: Well, it doesn't matter. You were really good.

_**Roxas**_: You really think so?

_**Ventus**_: Yeah! You can get really good with more practice.

*The Train jolts to a stop*

_**Sora**_: Hey, looks like we're here.

_**Naminè**_: The trip took longer than we expected. Well, we should get off before the train starts moving again.

_**Ventus**_: Last one out is a rotten egg! *shoots out the door*

_**Sora & Roxas**_: Hey! No fair! *both run out after him*

*the rest walk out*

_**Kairi**_: *sigh* They're such kids.

_**Aqua**_: Well, let them get it out of their systems. They've been sitting around for 2 hours.

_**Terra**_: I'm jealous. They're much younger than I am.

_**Naminè**_: It doesn't really make a difference. You're only a few years older.

*They all enter the Tower. Sora, Roxas and Ventus are already halfway up*

_**Terra**_: *sweat drop* Where do they get all that energy…?

_**Riku**_: *sweat drop * It's a mystery of the universe…

*The rest of them walk up the staircase. By the time they reach the boys, they see them plopped down on the ground exhausted at the top*

_**Roxas**_: *sitting on the ground, breathing hard* Wow. Took you guys long enough.

_**Naminè**_: Geez, Roxas. You're going to kill yourself if you keep doing that.

_**Aqua**_: *shakes him* Hey! Ven! Wake up!

_**Ventus**_: *groans and rolls over* 5 more minutes…

_**Terra**_: *eyes closed, vein twitching* Ven!

_**Ventus**_: *jumps* Huh? What? *looks up* Oh, it's you guys.

_**Sora**_: *leaning against the castle door* Whew!

_**Riku**_: Someone couldn't wait to get his clothes fixed.

_**Sora**_: Hey, come on. These are one-of-a-kind.

_**Kairi**_: *laughs* Come on. Let's go in.

*They walk through the door. Yen Sid is having Tea Time with the Fairies*

_**Yen Sid**_: *looks up from his cake* Why, hello! Welcome, all of you. Do you have some business here, or are you just dropping by?

_**Sora**_: Actually, I need my clothes to get fixed up. They got torn in a fight.

_**Fauna**_: *inspects his clothes* Oh, dear me! Look at these tear marks. I thought you could take better care of your clothes, Sora.

_**Sora**_: Well, it wasn't intentional, let me tell you. *looks back at Ven, who's scratching his head in embarrassment*

_**Ventus**_: Yeah, it was my fault. I mistook him for someone else. Sorry about that.

_**Flora**_: Well, now! We can't just leave your clothes like that! Come, come! Let's mend those holes.

_**Fauna**_: Merryweather, put down those cookies! We have a job to do!

_**Merryweather**_: Oh, this always happens when I get to my cookies! *walks over to them*

_**Flora**_: Ready, dears? *they all use the wands at the same time. Sora's clothes are instantly repaired*

_**Sora**_: *looks down at himself* Wow! They look even better than before! Thanks!

_**Merryweather**_: Well, we're pleased that you like them. Now, then; I'll be getting back to my cookies. *walks away*

_**Fauna**_: Take better care of your clothes next time, Sora.

_**Sora**_: Okay. I promise. Thanks for the help! We're going now.

*They all turn and walk away until Yen Sid stops them*

_**Yen Sid**_: Sora! I just received an urgent message for you. It's from King Mickey.

_**Sora**_: Really? A message from the King? _(And an urgent one, too. I wonder what's up?)_ Okay, let's hear it.

*Yen Sid creates a projected image of King Mickey*

_**Sora**_: Your Majesty!

_**The King**_: Sora! Thank goodness you're there. I need your help right away.

_**Sora**_: *instantly alert* What is it?

_**The King**_: Axel left on another business trip to Halloween Town a few days ago, but he hasn't come back yet!

_**Riku**_: What? You're sure about this?

_**The King**_: Sure I'm sure! I just wanted to tell you as soon as I could.

_**Roxas**_: Who was his client?

_**The King**_: Hmm, let me see now…someone named Lock, if I remember right.

_**Sora & Roxas**_: Him?

_**Sora**_: B-but, he's just a kid! _(Why does he need to buy a house, anyway?)_

_**Roxas**_: Oh, crap. He should have known better than that! Weren't past experiences enough? _(Stupid kid throwing pumpkin bombs at my face!_)

_**Riku**_: What? Who's Lock?

_**Roxas**_: He's this really annoying kid-

_**Sora**_:-who happens to work for Oogie Boogie.

_**Ventus**_: What? That bug-brain? Last I saw him though, he didn't have any henchmen.

_**Aqua**_: Ven, think! That was over 10 years ago!

_**Ventus**_: Oh, that's right.

_**Terra**_: *face palms and shakes his head* Oh, for heaven's sake, Ven…

_**Naminè**_: But it's strange. Why would he kidnap Axel?

_**The King**_: Well, I'm not saying that he's kidnapped, per se. I'm just worried.

_**Sora**_: Don't worry, your Majesty. We'll find him! He's our friend, after all.

_**The King**_: Thanks, Sora! The best of luck!

*The projection disappears*

_**Sora**_: *turns to the gang* Well, a hero can't rest forever, can he? Even when the worlds are saved.

_**Roxas**_: *grins* Guess not. _(It feels really empty without him here. We've gotta find him, and fast!)_

_**Ventus**_: All right, who's ready for some butt-kicking? *does random martial arts moves*

_**Aqua**_: *laughs* Well, Ven's ready. *turns to Kairi and Naminè* Well, I'm sorry that you'll have to go home for this.

_**Kairi**_: Don't worry about us. We're sure that you guys will all be fine.

_**Naminè**_: We'll be rooting for your success! Good luck! *waves*

*Naminè opens a Corridor to Darkness then she and Kairi walk through*

_**Sora**_: All right! Let's get to it! Halloween Town, here we come!

* * *

><p><em><strong>…And the second chapter is done in a flash. I gotta say, this thing will go by way faster than the Naruto Chats did. This is really fun to write because there are so many possibilities! There are a bunch of side stories in Kingdom Hearts, so I'll have a constant supply of material for this parody. And this franchise isn't even over yet! Kingdom Hearts III has yet to be released for the 3DS! I hope Kingdom Hearts will be like the Pokèmon game franchise (except the fact that Pokèmon has been going on for pretty much twice as long and Kingdom Hearts has much more material than Pokèmon does. See how awesome Nomura is?) and goes on forever! You're awesome, Tetsuya Nomura! Keep it going!<strong>_


	3. Peaceful Getaway

_**Third chapter! I'm running through these pretty fast xD Well anyway, here it is - enjoy!**_

**Sora and his friends get the bad news that their friend Axel has gone missing! They take on the role as a search party as they attempt to locate him. In order to get some information, they try to see Jack, but unfortunately, Jack seems to be gone too. Armed with the knowledge that Axel was last seen inHalloweenTownand that Jack might be able to help them, the gang begins their search with a vengeance!**

**Ch. 3 Peaceful Getaway**

_**Sora**_: Long time no see, Halloween Town!

_**Roxas**_: Sora, where'd you get the new clothes? Or costume, I should say.

_**Sora**_: *looks down at his clothes* Huh, this? *grins* I always look like this when I visit Halloween Town.

_**Ventus**_: Is it because of your clothes? None of us look Halloween-esque here.

_**Sora**_: It must be, since Donald isn't here to change our costumes. I guess the Fairies added a feature to my outfit so I can change how I look through my clothes when I go to a different world when they fixed it.

_**Aqua**_: Can't you change back? You look kind of scary.

_**Sora**_: Probably not. I never learned how. I just took it for granted whenever I visited Halloween Town.

_**Terra**_: Hm, it _is_ quite fitting with the setting though.

_**Sora**_: Exactly! If I didn't change forms, the residents living here would think I'm an alien or something.

_**Riku**_: But doesn't that make _us_ aliens?

_**Ventus**_: Yeah, probably. *looks at him* But not _you_, Riku. You fit in with the dark tones just fine!

_**Riku**_: You trying to start something with me?

_**Aqua**_: Come on, you two. Now's not the time.

_**Roxas**_: *rubs his chin* But he _does_ have a darker tone, doesn't he? He looks darker.

_**Sora**_: Huh. Riku, you never told me you could do that!

_**Riku**_: I'm not exactly an expert on it either. _(Come on, guys, let's do what we came here for…)_

_**Terra**_: I don't think it's the time you guys can discuss your attire. We came here for a reason, in which it does not include talking about why Sora looks like a vampire.

_**Ventus**_: *hits his palm of his hand with his fist* Oh, that's right!

_**Aqua**_: *sighs and sweat drops* _(What are we going to do with you, Ven?)_

_**Sora**_: Terra's right. We need to find Axel! We better ask around. Let's split up and we'll meet back here in 3 hours. Got it?

_**Everyone else**_: Got it.

_**Sora**_: All right, let's go!

*They all head in different directions*

**3 Hours Later**

_**Sora**_: Anyone learn anything helpful?

_**Roxas**_: Nope. _(Damn it, Axel; where are you hiding? You owe us ice cream!)_

_**Riku**_: Zilch.

_**Ventus**_: Nothing.

_**Terra**_: Unsuccessful.

_**Aqua**_: Nothing new.

_**Sora**_: *sighs, irritated* So no one found anything, huh…

_**Aqua**_: It's not our fault, Sora. Not very many people would talk. What they did tell us, it led us nowhere. It's as if they were afraid of us or something.

_**Sora**_: *realizes* Oh, right. It's probably since you don't look like you come from around here. _(I should have thought of that. I completely forgot.)_

_**Ventus**_: So we can assume that _you_ learned something?

_**Sora**_: *crosses his arms, blunt* Nope. I didn't ask anyone.

*Everyone else falls down*

_**Sora**_: *oblivious* Maybe Jack would know something.

*everyone gets up and sweat drops*

_**Roxas**_: What the heck were you doing this whole time? _(I'm still a little stung at the scarecrow that Jack made of me….and this guy wouldn't realize it even if –ah, it's not even worth thinking about.)_

_**Sora**_: I was hoping you guys would get something.

_**Riku**_: *vein twitching* _(And he was complaining about us not finding anything?)_

_**Ventus**_: *sarcasm* Oh, right. We can solve all our problems without you helping but we can with a random person you happen to know.

_**Sora**_: Yep! That's right! *everyone sweat drops* He happens to be a friend of mine. He can come in handy sometimes. So I went to go see him-

_**Aqua**_: _(Seriously?)_ Well, that's great! Then that means-

_**Sora**_: -but he wasn't home.

*They fall down again. They manage to get up sooner this time, but they still sweat drop*

_**Ventus**_: _(And they're telling me that he's the one that saved the worlds twice and carried his and my hearts, and Kairi's at some point. Some things in the universe just don't make sense.)_

_**Riku**_: Anyway…let's go see this Jack person and find out where Axel is.

_**Roxas**_: *sigh* Well, Sora. You know where he lives. Take us there.

_**Sora**_: Well, yeah, I know where he lives, but he was out when I got there.

_**Terra**_: _(Oh, for heaven's sake…)_ Do you know where he might be right now?

_**Sora**_: Hmmmm…he might be at Dr. Finkelstein's lab. He's always going to him for help with new Halloween ideas.

_**Ventus**_: Hey, why didn't you go there before if you knew he'd be there?

_**Sora**_: Because I never actually thought about it. Nobody asked me if I knew where he was, anyway.

_**Riku**_: *sweat drop* _(Could he be any blunter?)_

_**Sora**_: Now that you asked and I answered, let's go to Finkelstein's lab! He's definitely there! *runs the other way*

_**Terra**_: *sweat drops* _(The hero speaks confidently…_)

**At Dr. Finkelstein's lab**

_**Finkelstein**_: Well, Jack, what do you think of this new product? I worked tirelessly for three days to create it.

_**Jack**_: It's wonderful, Doctor! This Halloween will be one of the most memorable of them all!

_**Finkelstein**_: I'm glad that you're pleased, Jack. You're coming up with more creative ideas every year.

_**Jack**_: Thank you, Doctor. I drew inspiration from the phenomena around me! I will constantly come up with something that will give everyone a good scare!

_**Sally**_: *walks in* Jack, are you done with the preparations?

_**Jack**_: Nearly done, Sally. This will be the most frightful year yet!

_**Sally**_: That's wonderful.

*hears a knock on the door*

_**Jack**_: Hm, I wonder who it could be? *goes to open the door* Sora! Oh, my; you seem to have quite a bit of friends along with you today.

_**Sora**_: *waves* How ya been, Jack?

_**Jack**_: You have the most precise timing! Please wait a moment! *retrieves the new product of the year's Halloween* What do you think?

_**Sora**_: *looks it over* Well, it's…interesting. How does it work?

_**Jack**_: You see here, this activates a switch which creates an effect that…*keeps talking*

_**Sora**_: Mhmm…mhmm…whoa! *jumps back as the product activates* Wow, that's going to work its wonders this Halloween.

_**Jack**_: Why, thank you, Sora. *puts it away* So, what can I do for you today?

_**Sora**_: Jack, these are my friends. *gestures at each and introduces them in turn* I'm looking for another friend of mine who disappeared. Did you happen to see a tall guy with red spiky hair and a black coat? His name is Axel.

_**Jack**_: *thinks awhile* Let me see now…oh! Yes, I believe that have seen him.

_**Roxas**_: Really? Where?

_**Jack**_: I was passing by the Graveyard when I saw him. I actually probably wouldn't have noticed if Zero hadn't spotted him first.

_**Sora**_: *claps* Kudos to Zero.

_**Riku**_: So you're saying that you last saw him at the Graveyard?

_**Jack**_: Yes, that's right. He was talking to Lock. Unusually casually, I should say. It's as if they had been friends for a long time.

_**Aqua**_: That's weird…Do you think that they're still at the Graveyard now?

_**Jack**_: It's hard to say. It's been a while since I saw him.

_**Ventus**_: Well, that's the only lead we've got. We should head over there now.

_**Sora**_: Thanks for your help, Jack. We'll see you around!

_**Jack**_: Good-bye, friends!

*The gang leaves*

_**Finkelstein**_: *growls* How uncouth! He didn't even greet me!

_**Sally**_: Now, Doctor. Sora had matters to attend to.

_**Finkelstein**_: Ah, I have to get back to work anyway. *wheels away* Sally, did you get the ingredients that I requested?

_**Sally**_: Yes, Doctor. Please be patient.

**Outside the lab**

_**Sora**_: Okay, so now we know that Axel was seen at the Graveyard. Everyone ready?

_**Everyone**_: Ready!

_**Sora**_: Awesome! Let's go!

*everyone runs to the Graveyard*

**At the Graveyard**

_**Riku**_: So, this is the Graveyard…nice and…spooky.

_**Roxas**_: *walks up* There's no one here.

_**Terra**_: Maybe we should head farther in.

_**Ventus**_: Right.

*They enter Graveyard II and look around*

_**Sora**_: Still no one here.

_**Aqua**_: Is there anywhere else we can go?

_**Ventus**_: *looks at Sora* Sora? You got any ideas?

_**Sora**_: Hmmm….well, there's Curly Hill.

_**Riku**_: Then what are we waiting for? We should go there now. You never know what you might find in a graveyard.

_**Terra**_: All right, let's move. *they all head for Curly Hill*

**At Curly Hill**

_**Ventus**_: Okay, we're at Curly Hill. What do we do now?

_**Sora**_: Well, this is as far as this Graveyard goes. Guess we have to search for clues here.

_**Riku**_: So you think we'll find anything?

_**Sora**_: *chuckles* Why do you think we're looking for clues here in the first place?

_**Riku**_: *grins* Got me there. Okay, let's take a look around.

*They split up and walk around the Moonlit Hill area*

_**Ventus**_: *spots a piece of paper* Hm? _(This isn't what you usually see in a graveyard…)_ *picks it up and reads it* Eh? *sweat drops* _(A-Axel…what have you…)_

_**Aqua**_: Huh? *notices Ven with the paper* Ven? What is that?

_**Ventus**_: *sighs in disbelief* Well, I think we found the clue we're looking for.

_**Aqua**_: Really? Let me see. *Aqua looks at the paper* Wha…? *looks at Ven in confusion, who had crossed his arms with his eyes closed, looking irritated* Uh, Ven, what is this…?

_**Ventus**_: *sigh* It's exactly what it looks like…

_**Aqua**_: Wow…I can't believe this.

_**Ventus**_: *shrugs while he sweat drops* You gotta believe what you see, right?

_**Aqua**_: _(Oh, for Pete's sake, Axel! Guess I'd better show everyone.)_ *turns to the rest of the gang* Hey, guys! Ven found something!

_**Roxas**_: *looks back* Really?  
>*They all run over*<p>

_**Roxas**_: You found something? What is it?

_**Ventus**_: Take a look for yourself. *hands the paper to Roxas*

*They all pore over the paper*

_**Roxas**_: *sweat drops* What the-?

_**Terra**_: *vein twitching * He was making us worry, and this?

_**Riku**_: *sighs*

_**Sora**_: *chuckles* Well, this is Axel, all right. He just couldn't help it, could he?

*The title of the paper reads "List of Scuba Equipment" in Axel's handwriting*

_**Riku**_: So he was…off scuba diving somewhere…this _whole_ time…?

_**Sora**_: Lucky…I wish I could go scuba diving…

_**Ventus**_: _(Sheesh…we're looking for Axel and he suddenly wants to go swim…)_

_**Roxas**_: Forget it, Sora. You don't have the buoyancy. I don't know how you survived on that island.

_**Sora**_: Well, excuse me for wanting to go out on an excursion.

_**Terra**_: He could have at least told us that he wasn't a realtor…

_**Riku**_: It's so like him to use a cover-up excuse like that.

_**Roxas**_: So he was lying about being a realtor…*sigh* Sheesh.

_**Sora**_: At least he's okay, right? We should just leave him to it. He probably wanted to get away from us teenagers for a while.

_**Ventus**_: Oh, no; he's not getting away! When I find him, I'm going to let Roxas get a piece of him! *punches his fist into his hand*

_**Roxas**_: Huh? _(I didn't exactly sign up to do that…)_

_**Aqua**_: Come on, Ven, calm down. Why're you so worked up about Axel being gone? _(Though I can't argue with him there.)_

_**Ventus**_: *lets loose his anger and irritation* I'll tell you why! *balls up his fists* He just left us and made us think he was kidnapped or worse! *slashes his arm through the air* We can't let him get away with making everyone worry like that!

_**Roxas**_: *sweat drops* _(That sounds like something Hayner would say…)_

_**Aqua**_: *frantic* But Ven-

*Sora suddenly bursts out laughing and everyone looks at him*

_**Sora**_: *tries to stop, gasping* Well…I guess…that means we…have to… *laughs some more, then sobers up and grins* Looks like we have to go find him if we're going to have any chance at calming Ven down.

_**Terra**_: *grins* When Ven decides something, there's no changing his mind.

_**Roxas**_: Then I guess that means that we need to hit the road again.

_**Riku**_: Does the paper say anything about where he is?

_**Roxas**_: *looks at the paper* Hmmm….it says he's at… *sweat drops* _(This handwriting's so sloppy…looks like it could be Lock's.)_ I can't read it. It's too sloppy.

_**Sora**_: Give it here. *Roxas hands the paper to Sora, who glances at the writing* It says he's at Atlantica! *chuckles* There's no better place to scuba dive.

_**Roxas**_: *sweat drop* _(Wh-whoa…he read it so easily…how does he do it? Even if he is the Keyblade Master of The Realm of Light!)_

_**Sora**_: Well, who's ready for a swim? We're going to pay Axel a visit!

_**Ventus**_: Not to mention that Axel is gonna be decked by Roxas when we see him. *balls up a fist*

_**Roxas**_: Hey, hey; ease up on the violence there, Ven. I'm not gonna do anything to him since he's underwater.

_**Terra**_: *sighs irritably* I hate swimming…

_**Aqua**_: Cheer up, Terra! You'll love it! _And_ I've got all the necessary equipment! You can talk in them without worrying about losing air! Air supply is unlimited!

_**Ventus**_: All right! Woo-hoo; time to scuba dive!

*Aqua passes it out to everyone to discover that she is one set short*

_**Aqua**_: Ah, there's no more! _(That means that Ven can't go…)_

_**Sora**_: Don't worry, Aqua! I don't need the gear.

_**Aqua**_: You sure about that?

_**Sora**_: Trust me! *hands his set to Ven* Here ya go.

_**Ventus**_: *takes it* How are you gonna swim without the gear?

_**Sora**_: *points at his clothes* Magical clothes, remember?

_**Riku**_: Well, thank goodness that you got it fixed, then.

_**Sora**_: *smiles* Yep. Since we're gonna be getting off underwater, you guys should probably put those on before we leave.

_**Aqua**_: Good idea.

_**Sora**_: I'll be waiting inside the ship. *leaves*

**Many Hours Later In Atlantica**

_**Aqua**_: *swims alongside Ven* Come on, Ven; what's with the long face?

_**Ventus**_: *pouts* It's not fair. I want to be a merman so I don't have to wear the stupid gear.

_**Terra**_: Ven, that's not exactly something you should be thinking about right now. Look on the bright side. If Sora wasn't able to turn into a merman you wouldn't have been able to go!

_**Riku**_: I guess that's what people mean about 'being positive.'

_**Ventus**_: Hmph. *childish face*

_**Roxas**_: Come on, you guys! We're losing Sora! *points ahead*

_**Aqua**_: Huh? *looks up to see that Sora is way ahead and smiles amusedly* I guess there are advantages of being half-dolphin.

_**Sora**_: *calls back and waves* Come on, you guys! Hurry! We're almost to the palace! *shoots off through the water*

_**Roxas**_: Sora, slow down! We're not half-dolphin like you are! *Sora already disappeared* Ugh.

_**Terra**_: He said that we're getting close to the palace. What palace?

_**Roxas**_: I think he means the one where some mermaids live.

_**Riku**_: Is that right? You know how to get there?

_**Roxas**_: I think so. _(Judging from the direction he went, at least.)_

_**Aqua**_: Okay, then. Lead the way, Roxas.

_**Roxas**_: All right; sure. *swims ahead and the rest of them follow*

_**Ventus**_: Why don't I ever get to do anything?

_**Terra**_: *scolding* Ven!

**Ten Miles Ahead**

_**Sora**_: *stops swimming* Whew! I should take a break and wait for them. *Looks at the palace, several distances away* Wow, haven't been here since forever. I wonder how Triton and everyone are doing? *watches the fish swim past him and the like to pass the time oblivious to a large shadow approaching*

_**Sora**_: …Huh? *looks back and his eyes get wide* Holy- *barely avoids shark's jaws* Oh, come on; why now? *quickly swims in a circle in an attempt to confuse it* Geez, I thought sharks were smart! Oh…

**Flashback to when he was 10**

_Sora's Biology Teacher__: You see, sharks are quite intelligent despite myths. They only periodically attack sunbathers and surfers because they mistake them for seals due to their poor eyesight. Humans probably aren't on the sharks list of favorite food, because our meat can be rather bland._

_Sora__: *raises hand* Teacher?_

_Sora's Biology Teacher__: *looks up* Yes?_

_Sora__: My dad got attacked by a shark! The shark seemed to like the way he tasted because it chewed him! *the class 'ooh's and 'aah's*_

_Sora's Biology Teacher__: Why did you bring that up? Shouldn't you be more depressed about that? And way too much information, young man! Stay in after class!_

_Sora__: *meek* Yes, Teacher. *looks up in curiosity* But how do you know what humans taste like?_

_Sora's Biology Teacher__: That's it! Detention!_

**End Flashback**

_**Sora**_: *still swimming in a circle* Oh, yeah! He probably thinks that I'm a fish! *looks at the huge shark chasing him* Judging from the size of this thing, anyway… *shark is gaining on him* Oh, no-

_**Axel**_: Sora! *throws chakram at the shark and kills it*

_**Sora**_: What the-*looks around to see Axel swimming up* Axel! When did you-

_**Axel**_: I was just swimming by minding my own business when I saw you swimming in circles.

_**Sora**_: Well, thanks for the save. So you enjoy your time scuba diving?

_**Axel**_: Yes I have, actually. _(Gotta get out of here…)_ *starts to swim away* So I'll be on my way now-

_**Ventus**_: *from afar* Hold it right there, you traitor!

_**Axel**_: *stops and sweat drops nervously* _(Uh-oh…)_

*They all swim up*

_**Aqua**_: Axel! We finally found you!

_**Roxas**_: *ticked off with a vein twitching* Sora! Could you mind swimming a _little_ bit slower? Geez, we got lost several times because you went ahead!

_**Sora**_: *scratches his head in embarrassment* Sorry about that. I had to get a feel for it.

_**Riku**_: That's how you get a feel for it? By swimming away at top speed and leaving us to eat your dust? Grr, I could strangle you right about now if we were here just for the sake of swimming!

_**Sora**_: *dense* Not that the strangling would do anything to me when I'm half-dolphin.

_**Terra**_: *puts a hand on Sora's shoulder and whispers in his ear* Sora, if you don't want to end up as fish bait in about 5 seconds, I suggest you stop talking while you still can. *speaks normally* Besides, we're missing all the action.

_**Sora**_: Huh? * looks behind him to see that Ventus is screaming at the top of his lungs at Axel who is cowering in fear, then sweat drops while smiling nervously* _(Hehe…action, you say…)_ …Uhm…oh.

_**Terra**_: C'mon, let's go.

*The both of them swim up to the gang, but by then Ventus has had his fill up screaming*

_**Axel**_: *raises his hands in surrender* Okay, okay, I confess! I lied! And I'm sorry for making you guys worry!

_**Aqua**_: Well, at least you're okay.

_**Roxas**_: Hey, Axel. You still owe us ice cream.

_**Axel**_: But I don't have money to buy the ice cream with…

_**Ventus**_: Then how'd you get all this? *indicates all his high-tech equipment*

_**Axel**_: Umm…*sweat drops frantically* It was borrowed.

_**Roxas**_: *sweat drops* _(That's such a bad lie that even Sora can tell…)_

_**Sora**_: Then go return it! We need to get back! Who did you borrow it from?

_**Axel**_: Umm… er…well…You see, actually I…

_**Sora**_: You what? Just spit it out already!

_**Roxas**_: *sighs* _(I should have known better…Sora is definitely is a guy who thought Mulan was a real man when she dressed like one.)_

_**Aqua**_: Enough, you guys! Let's just go back!

_**Sora**_: Yeah, but if Axel doesn't return these, he'll get sued! I'm worried!

_**Riku**_: *sighs and shakes his head* Weren't you listening at all, Sora?

_**Sora**_: *confused* Huh? Listen to what?

_**Riku**_: Axel's confession that he actually _bought_ these things?

_**Sora**_: *surprised* Really? But he just said that-

_**Terra**_: Just drop it, Sora. Let's go back to your island.

*They all swim back*

_**Sora**_: Okay, fine. But next time we come here, I call dibs on the submarine!

_**Roxas**_: Hey, no fair! I wanted to get the submarine!

_**Sora**_: Too bad, I called it!

_**Aqua**_: You guys! Quit arguing and let's go!

*Sora does a peace sign and smiles victoriously while Roxas groans*

_**Ventus**_: *lagging behind, muttering to himself while ignoring them* When will I ever do anything important…

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sorry, this took longer to write than expected. I couldn't think of things to put into the story to fit with my preview so I dragged it on for several days. But I'm finally finished! Hope you liked it. :)<strong>_


	4. Corrupt

_**Long time no see! Sorry, I was waiting until I had an updated version of Word. **_

**Anyway, when we left off, our heroes managed to locate Axel and bring him back to his home (which is Radiant Garden, by the way). However, after the venture, Ven is still jealous of Sora getting all the attention, and one day, something happens and he couldn't take anymore and runs away. Aqua and Terra form a search party with the Destiny Island and Twilight Town gang along with Axel in order to find him, but it seems like that isn't necessary…**

**Ch. 4 Corrputed**

**Land of Departure**

_**Aqua**_: *setting up lunch* Terra, where's Ven? Is he still in his room?

_**Terra**_: *leaning against the wall with his arms crossed* He must be. I haven't seen him since last night when he went to bed.

_**Aqua**_: You think he's still in there?

_**Terra**_: I'm betting on it. _(Not really.)_

_**Aqua**_: All right, I'll go check on him. *goes up the castle stairs and into Ven's room, where he is still curled up in bed*

_**Aqua**_: Ven? Why are you still in bed?

_**Ventus**_: *silent for a moment, still facing the wall* No reason.

_**Aqua**_: *crosses her arms* I don't think so. Tell me what's going on.

_**Ventus**_: *sighs without turning around* Why does Sora get to be the cool kid? I was here before him.

_**Aqua**_: *shakes her head* Oh, Ven…is this what this is all about? Why does it matter?

_**Ventus**_: *jerks up in bed to face her angrily and starts ranting* Ever since that time we went to find Axel, all I have gotten is the cold shoulder because Sora is the one that makes good things happen! Everything, except the fact that he takes the spotlight all to himself! What am I in this scenario? A support character? I'm just a side!

_**Aqua**_: *surprised at his outburst and tries to calm him down* Ven, that's not-

_**Ventus**_: *cuts her off by jumping off the bed and glaring at her* It's all about him! He gets everything he wants! He's got supernatural abilities that none of us have! He's not normal, and you look at him like he's the best thing since I came around!

_**Aqua**_: *pleading now* Ven, it's not like that! He's a normal person, just like the rest of us! He just has this…charisma, you know? You've felt it before too, haven't you?

_**Ventus**_: *a bit begrudgingly* Okay, I'll admit that. *becomes angry again, accusing* But you think his charisma is stronger than mine, don't you? You don't mind seeing me for weeks when you can't even delay a phone call to Destiny Islands for even one day! Fine! I'll do what you want!

_**Aqua**_: *frightened by what he's suggesting and tries to stop him* Ven, what are you-

*Ventus suddenly runs out of the room in anger just as Terra comes running up the stairs hearing his shouts*

_**Terra**_: Ven-?

_**Ventus**_: *as he runs past him* Shut up! You don't care about me! No one does!

_**Terra**_: *as Ven disappears* Aqua, what happened in here?

_**Aqua**_: *still shaken* W-well, he was…jealous, I think-because he thinks Sora gets all the attention-and…I think he's leaving…he probably thinks that we don't need him anymore because we've got Sora! *covers her face with her hands while Terra looks at her in shock*

_**Terra**_: *in indignation* Well, don't just stand there crying! We've got to stop him before he leaves for good! *pulls on her arm and runs down the stairs and outside just in time to see Ventus activating his Keyblade Glider* Ven-!

*Ven flies through a portal while completely ignoring them*

_**Aqua**_: *supports herself on the castle wall* No….it's too late…

_**Terra**_: *fiercely* No, it's not! _(That idiot!)_

_**Aqua**_: *despairingly* But we have no idea where he went! Where do we start looking? He could be anywhere!

_**Terra**_: *turns on her and looks at her lividly* Think, Aqua! Who are you?

_**Aqua**_: *gasps, realizing the answer* Terra… *looks up at him determinedly* You're right. I can't lose my bearings now. *pause* Thanks.

_**Terra**_: *grins* No problem. Just though you needed a little juice.

_**Aqua**_: *makes a fist while grinning* Well, I've got plenty! I know exactly where to go! Let's hurry! We've got to get Ven back!

**Destiny Islands**

*Sora and Riku are sword-fighting while Kairi looks on*

_**Riku**_: *blocks a downward slash* Come on, Sora! You can do better than that!

_**Sora**_: *panting* Riku…can't we take a break? Please? My arms are dead!

_**Riku**_: *disappointed* Geez, Sora. What have you been doing these past years ?

_**Sora**_: *gets irritated and starts to ramble* Getting my butt kicked to save the worlds! And right before that I lose my heart to save Kairi and getting turned into a Heartless and then sometime after I come back Roxas is in the Organization, then I go and fall asleep somewhere for a whole year without knowing when or why, and then I go get my butt kicked again to save the worlds a second time because the bad guys just can't quit! And after that, we took this Mark of Mastery Exam! How tired do you think I am?

_**Riku**_: *laughs* Okay, okay! I get your point. Let's take a break.

_**Sora**_: *plops on the ground exhausted* Whew! Finally!

_**Kairi**_: You saved the worlds twice but you can't even handle a sword-fight with Riku? You're getting out of shape, Sora.

_**Sora**_: *looks up and grins* Yeah? You try sword-fighting with one of the best swordsmen on this island! *laughs* It's not easy, you know.

_**Riku**_: *thick sarcasm* Very funny.

_**Sora**_: *plays along* Yeah, I know.

*They hear a sudden rushing noise. They turn to find Aqua and Terra flying up on their Keyblade Gliders and land with a serious expression*

_**Sora**_: Oh, Terra and Aqua! *pauses, then peers closely* What's with the faces? Did something happen? *looks around* Where's Ven?

_**Aqua**_: That's the thing. We need to find him. Something happened today…*tells her story of what happened earlier that day*

_**Riku**_: *in complete disbelief* Ven is jealous of _Sora_? _Seriously_?

_**Sora**_: *looks at Riku and gives him a sarcastic look* Yeah, thanks, Riku.

_**Terra**_: Well, considering that he's always been babied by us until we met you, it's not surprising that he would do that.

_**Kairi**_: *confused* What do you mean by 'babied'?

_**Aqua**_: *looks at them* See, you know he's the youngest out of the three of us. We used to be apprentices of Master Eraqus. He was the youngest one, as I said before. But he was never allowed to leave the Land of Departure, because Master Eraqus was afraid of what Xehanort might do with him, what with Ventus being half a person at the time used to create this legendary weapon used to unlock Kingdom Hearts. He had good reason to worry, because when Ven ran away from home to find Terra, he was possessed by Vanitas and…*pauses, then continues* I had to fight him. *concludes her story* …And I think that's why he ran off.

_**Sora**_: *struggling with the onslaught of information* …Wow. He is jealous because I get more attention than he does? He's such a kid! *stops, realizing something in shock* Oh, man…

_**Terra**_: *suddenly sharp* What is it, Sora?

_**Sora**_: *speaks quietly, not like himself* You know how rivals always compete with each other, right? Way back when, Riku and I were probably the biggest rivals around. But when our island was getting destroyed, Riku was called by darkness. Even though we both were looking for Kairi, we kept fighting over who got to save her, and he eventually submitted to the darkness because he was jealous of the fact that my heart was stronger than his, and let Ansem possess him. Then after that, Riku gave into the darkness in order to help me wake up, and he was almost trapped there forever. *looks up in fear* That means since Ven is jealous of me, something bad is going to happen to him! Something evil!

_**Aqua**_: *frozen in shock* No…we can't let that happen! *steels herself* We've got to get looking! And fast!

_**Riku**_: *stands up determinedly* That's right. We can't let the same thing happen to him!

_**Kairi**_: *looks at them pointedly* Does that mean you're going to leave now?

_**Sora**_: *sigh* I'm afraid so. *silent for a moment, then smiles* But don't worry. We'll be back soon. I promise. *turns to Riku* Right?

_**Riku**_: *grins* Yeah.

_**Kairi**_: *relieved* Okay. I'll wait for you. Be careful! *heads home*

_**Sora**_: *makes a fist* We will! *turns to the gang* Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!

_**Terra**_: *ready to go* We need to split up. That'll let us cover more ground.

_**Aqua**_: Good idea. Let's do that.

_**Riku**_: So it's okay if we each visit a world of our choosing?

_**Terra**_: That would be best.

_**Sora**_: *finally catches on* Okay! That means if we do that, we can look in places in the same world where the first person might've missed!

_**Aqua**_: *startled* I didn't even think of that. *smiles* But that's a good idea! Sora, you're a genius!

_**Riku**_: *chuckles* Whenever Sora uses his head _(Which isn't often, so I know he's serious about this.)_, he comes up with things that I would never think of.

_**Sora**_: *is embarrassed, but quickly gets serious* Right. Let's go get Axel and Roxas. Whatever might happen, I think it might be too dangerous for Naminè.

_**Riku**_: Sora's right. Considering the circumstances, they might be better off staying home.

_**Terra**_: All right then. Let's go and get Roxas and Axel.

*Terra and Aqua use their Keyblade Gliders while Sora and Riku get on the Gummi Ship and blast off*

**Twilight Town**

_**Naminè**_: *calling into his room* Roxas, hurry! We're going to be late!

_**Roxas**_: *voice muffled behind the door* I'm getting ready as fast as I can! Stop rushing me!

_**Naminè**_: Hayner and the gang should already be at the sandlot! You know how Hayner hates to be kept waiting!

_**Roxas**_: *irritated* I would get ready a little faster if you'd stop yelling!

_**Naminè**_: Okay, I'll stop! Just hurry!

_**Roxas**_: I'm almost done! Hang on a second….yes! Perfect! *comes running out of his room* Sorry! Let's get going! *they rush out of the house and start running to the sandlot*

_**Naminè**_: *sighs in disbelief* Roxas, does your hair have to be perfect all the time?

_**Roxas**_: *defensively* Better than having a bedhead.

_**Naminè**_: …You got me there.

*They arrive in at the sandlot, where they are surprised to see that all his friends are there besides Hayner and his gang*

_**Roxas**_: *surprised* Hey guys! What are you guys doing here?

_**Riku**_: *straight to the point* We've got a situation.

_**Roxas**_: *confused* What sort of situation?

_**Terra**_: *grave* Ven disappeared.

_**Roxas**_: *shocked* No way! Really? How did it happen?

_**Aqua**_: Now isn't the time for questions. We need to find him and fast. We need your help, Roxas.

_**Roxas**_: *realizes* Oh…

_**Pence**_: *interrupts* Hey, what's going on here? Ven's gone?

_**Roxas**_: *looks at them, upset* Yeah. It seems that way.

_**Hayner**_: What, that Roxas-clone? He ran away?

**Sora**: *leans towards him threateningly* Hey! Don't go and call him a clone of Roxas! Roxas is the clone here!

_**Roxas**_: *sweat drop* _(Thanks a lot for reminding me, Sora…)_

_**Olette**_: Is it so bad that he's gone?

_**Naminè**_: Yeah, what would happen? He runs away all the time.

_**Sora**_: *angrily* If we're not careful, if _he's_ not careful, he might succumb to darkness! That's why it's so important that we find him as soon as possible! *Twilight gang looks shocked*

_**Hayner**_: Well, then what are you waiting for? Get outta here. Go find Ven!

_**Pence**_: Yeah, we'll root for you!

_**Olette**_: Be careful, you guys!

_**Naminè**_: Don't let anything bad happen!

_**Roxas**_: *nods determinedly* Right! I'll see you guys later! *he turns to Sora and the gang as the Twilight gang runs off to the Usual Spot* So, what do we do now?

_**Riku**_: Now, we go and get Axel.

_**Roxas**_: Then I'll go get him! I'll get there and back in no time!

_**Terra**_: All right. But hurry!

_**Roxas**_: Got it! *opens up a Corridor of Darkness and runs inside. The portal disappears in a hiss of black smoke*

_**Sora**_: Let's hope Axel is available.

*the portal opens a few minutes later, Roxas emerging with Axel in tow*

_**Sora**_: *jumps up* Axel!

_**Axel**_: Hey, hey. I heard what happened from Roxas. Looks like our little Roxas look-alike got a case of the sour grapes.

_**Aqua**_: Do you have any idea where he might be?

_**Axel**_: *shrugs* Haven't got a clue.

_**Riku**_: I guess that means we stick to the original plan and split up.

_**Terra**_: Well, we can't just find him standing here! We've got to move! _(Oh, yes you can. And you will.)_

_**Sora**_: *nods* Right! *starts running to the Gummi Ship, when he suddenly stops and puts a hand over his face*

_**Riku**_: *worried* Sora?

_**Sora**_: *winces as a sharp pain goes through his head* I…I feel weird…*suddenly takes both of his hands onto his head and cries out, falling on his knees*

_**Aqua**_: *shocked* Sora! *runs over and tries to pull him up* What's happening? Are you okay? Sora!

_**Sora**_: *still on his knees* No…I'm okay…Something…he's-*clutches his head harder and screams in agony*

_**Roxas**_: *shaken* Wh-what's happening to him?

_**Terra**_: *trying to keep his cool, but completely failing* Sora! Pull yourself together! What's happening to you?

_**Sora**_: *gasping* I-it…he's…closer…I feel-*lurches back, and screams even more agonizingly as he jerks forward again* No…no, you can't-! *falls down clutching his head and starts writhing in pain, continuing to scream*

_**Riku**_: *in horror* Sora!

_**Sora**_: *trapped in the "nightmare", trying to get up (I'm making a whole new story here! This is awesome! Oh, not because Sora's like that, I mean-oh, never mind.)* No…no! Don't…! Stop! *screams in pain one last time, then suddenly falls forward, going completely still*

_**Roxas**_: Sora? *shakes him but he doesn't respond, finds that Sora is burning up and gets desperate* Sora! Wake up!

_**Axel**_: What just happened?

_**?**_: * from somewhere behind them* _I_ happened.

_**Axel**_: *turns to the voice and summons his chakrams and everyone else (except Aqua, who is deathly pale and shocked frozen, and Roxas, who is still trying to wake Sora) summons their weapons* Who's there?

_**Aqua**_: *gasps in denial* No…no, no, no! It's not happening! It's not you! *covers her face, not wanting to know the truth of what she's hearing*

*everyone else looks at her in shock*

_**Axel**_: What? Who is-

_**Terra**_: *darkly* We were too late.

*A dark shadow appears before them*

_**Terra**_: *menacingly* You…what have you done with my friend?

_**Riku**_: Let him go! You're putting him in pain!

_**?**_: Quite the contrary. I'm doing him a service, this kid. It looked like he wanted it.

_**Roxas**_: *looks up from waking Sora* What? You-*realization hits, and he gets up threateningly* You! You're the one who did this to Sora!

_**Axel**_: *surprised* What?

_**?**_: *chuckles evilly* Clever. Yeah, it was me. Although it was this guy who wanted it in the first place. *The dark shadow disappears enough to reveal Ventus, but he looks slightly different now, with a darker tone, yellow eyes, and a dark aura surrounding his body with an evil grin on his face*

_**Riku**_: Who are you? What did you do to Ventus?

"_**Ventus"**_: My name is of little concern to you.

_**Terra**_: *deathly serious* Let. Him. Go. _Now_!

"_**Ventus"**_: *laughs cruelly then glares at him* You'll have to try better that _that!_ *shoots a dark ball of energy at Terra*

_**Axel**_: *reaches out* Terra-!

_**Terra**_: *slashes it into oblivion* You will pay! Give him his heart back _now_!

"_**Ventus"**_: *lifts up his hands* Why should I? It's been so long since I've walked this world. His envy…*sighs in contentment* It drew me out like moths to a flame. So…satisfying. Doing this makes it even more pleasant for me!

_**Roxas**_: *Trembling with rage* You…you _monster_! *makes as if to stab him with Oathkeeper, but "Ventus" stops him* What-

"_**Ventus"**_: I wouldn't do that.

_**Roxas**_: *with a taunting edge* Why not? Scared?

"_**Ventus"**_: Not at all. I just think you should worry about your friend there.

(Ventus: *trapped within his own mind* I'll teach you to steal the spotlight, Sora!)

_**Riku**_: What are you t-*Sora suddenly starts to scream again* Sora! *frantically looks behind him to find Sora writhing in pain again, trapped in his "nightmare"*

_**Axel**_: What are you doing to him?

"_**Ventus"**_: *puts his hand to his chest* I'm just granting his wish. That's all I'm doing.

_**Terra**_: No! You can't do this Ven! Snap out of it! Aqua! *Aqua snaps out of her shock, surprised*

_**Aqua**_: Terra…?

_**Terra**_: You've got to stop him Aqua! Before Sora gets killed!

_**Aqua**_: Huh? What did I miss? *frantic* What's going on?

_**Riku**_: *in a tortured voice* I think you can hear him now.

_**Aqua**_: What? *focuses and hears Sora's tortured cries* Sora? *whirls to see him clutching his head, screaming* Wh-what's going on? What's happening to him?

_**Roxas**_: *growls* It's him! *stabs in the direction of "Ventus"* He's the one doing that to Sora! *"Ventus" smirks*

_**Aqua**_: *completely shocked* Ven? Ventus! What happened to you? Why do you look like that?

"_**Ventus"**_: *musing* What a jealous heart he has. He's willing to kill his friend to get what he wants. *smiles with insane glee* Just the perfect host for _me_!

_**Aqua**_: *looks at Terra in terror* What-what is he?

_**Terra**_: *darkly* We don't know. *raises his Keyblade* But I will beat him senseless if that's what it takes to free Ven! He lost his heart before and has been suffering long enough! I don't want to put him through that again!

_**Aqua**_: Terra, you can't-

_**Terra**_: *agonized* Yes, I can! If it's the only way, I'll beat him half-dead!

"_**Ventus"**_: *grins* Idiots. That won't save him from me!

_**Axel**_: *suddenly remembers* _(That's right!)_ Hey guys! I know this being from before!

_**Riku**_: *looks at him in shock* What? You do?

_**Axel**_: *burning (literally)* I remember! He did the same thing to me! That's how I lost my heart and became a Nobody!

_**Aqua**_: *gasps* No! I can't let that happen! I'm not losing him again!

_**Riku**_: Aqua?

_**Aqua**_: *passionately* Ven! If you can hear me, please stop this! Look at what you're doing!

(Ventus: What?)

"_**Ventus"**_: *laughs evilly* Your words can't reach him. He's at the very core!

_**Riku**_: *suddenly livid* Don't listen to him, Aqua! *Aqua looks at Riku in surprise* We can talk sense into Ven! It may be the only way! *to "Ventus"* Ven! Snap out of it! Look at what jealousy has done to you!

(Ventus: *stubborn* What are you talking about?)

_**Axel**_: Don't give into his will! That's what he wants! Fight, Ven!

(Ventus: *tries to deny it* But…Sora…he took all the attention! I want it back!)

_**Roxas**_: Get rid of him, Ven! You're strong enough!

(Ventus: *torn* No! He's helping me get what I want! Everything I want!)

_**Terra**_: Ven! Stop this! What you're doing is beyond cruel!  
>(Ventus: *with a start* But I…)<p>

_**Aqua**_: *desperate* Ven, come back!

(Ventus: *surprised at her tone* Huh?)

_**Aqua**_: It's not the same without you! *heart is aching* There's no need for you to do this! Even if you kill him, you won't get what you want! *Sora continues screaming in agony*

_**Roxas**_: *Sora suddenly stops screaming and starts to hyperventilate now as his heart threatens to flutter to a stop. Roxas panics* His heart rate is picking up! At this rate he'll have cardiac arrest any minute!

_**Aqua**_: Look at what you're doing to him! People will resent you for taking his light away from them! They'll never speak to you again! Please understand! _Ven_!

(Ventus: *shocked realization* ….! Oh….oh God…what…what have I done…just for the attention...I'm killing my friend! I've got to help him! I've… got to stop this thing!)

"_**Ventus"**_: *gasps and puts his hand to his chest* What the-?

_**Riku**_: *excitedly* It's working! Ven is fighting!

"_**Ventus"**_: *clutches his heart* No! I…I don't want to go back….stop….stop!

*He roars. The dark aura rushes out of Ventus, who collapses on the ground, exhausted. The aura hovers above Ventus for a moment, then lets out a bloodcurdling wail as it fades into nothing*

_**Terra**_: *runs up to him* Ven!

_**Aqua**_: *already knelt beside him and holding him in her arms* Ven! Ven! Wake up! Please!

_**Ventus**_: *groans, and opens his eyes* Ugh….huh? *looks up at Aqua's face, which is filled with sheer relief* Aqua…? Is that you?

_**Aqua**_: *takes it as a confirmation that Ven is really back* Ven! You're okay! I'm so glad! *hugs him*

_**Ventus**_: *is smothered* Erk! Can't…breathe! *gasps after he is let go, then* I-I'm so sorry, Aqua, I-I didn't realize…I didn't think…I-I'm such a bad person, I shouldn't have-

_**Aqua**_: *stops him* No. It's okay. Don't worry. Everything is fine.

_**Ventus**_: *manages to sit up* Wh-what about Sora? Is he okay?

_**Aqua**_: *pulls him upright and acts as a crutch* Why don't we go see?

*They walk over to where Sora is laying, finally still. He is covered in sweat and breathing with short, quick breaths, still unconscious*

_**Ventus**_: *falls to his knees and covers his face in horror* Sora…I'm so sorry…I can't believe I…

_**Terra**_: *walks up to Ventus and kneels beside Sora* Well, it looks like he'll be fine now. He'll need extensive medical care, but he'll be all right. Physically, anyway. Mentally…I'm not so sure.

_**Riku**_: *goes pale* You think he's gone insane?

_**Terra**_: No, I know that's definitely not it. We'll find out when he wakes up.

_**Ventus**_: *stands up, shaking* I…I did this to him…I'll take care of him. It's the right thing.

_**Aqua**_: *worried* Are you sure, Ven? You need to rest-

_**Ventus**_: *shakes his head vigorously* I can't rest when Sora needs me! I'll be fine!

_**Aqua**_: *unsure* Well…all right. If you're sure.

_**Roxas**_: Are you going to take him back to your castle?

_**Terra**_: *turns to face Roxas and Riku* That would be best. Best medical care anywhere.

_**Riku**_: *nods* All right. I'll leave him in your hands. *turns to Ventus* Take good care of him. *Ventus nods*

_**Ventus**_: *determinedly* I will.

_**Axel**_: Well, looks like Sora's going to be in good hands. I'll be going-

_**Roxas**_: Hey, wait, hold on! *Axel stops in his tracks* Stay here! Let's go see Hayner and the others!

_**Axel**_: *turns to look at him, surprised* You sure that's all right?

_**Roxas**_: *nods eagerly* Sure, I'm sure! They'll be glad to see you!

_**Axel**_: Okay, okay! I'll stay! *laughs* Let's go, Roxas.

_**Roxas**_: Yep! *turns to the gang* I'll be going now. Take good care of Sora! *runs off with Axel to the Clock Tower*

_**Riku**_: *scratches his head* Well, looks like I've got some explaining to do for Kairi.

_**Terra**_: *smacks him on the back* You know what this means, Ven? Kairi will hate you even more now if she finds out that you tried to kill Sora.

_**Ventus**_: *groans* Oh, just great. *realizes something* Wait. "If"?

_**Riku**_: I won't tell her that you tried to kill him, Ven. I'll think of something; don't worry.

_**Ventus**_: *nods uncertainly* Umm…okay. If you say so.

_**Riku**_: I'd better get going. See you later. *starts to walk away, but stops and turns* We can come visit Sora right? While he's recovering?

_**Ventus**_: Definitely! It will work wonders, believe me.

_**Riku**_: *smiles* Thanks. Let me know when he comes around. I'll come here faster than you can say my name.

_**Terra**_: *slaps him on the back* You can count on it.

_**Riku**_: See ya. *walks away to a portal and disappears*

_**Ventus**_: *stretches* Well, let's get Sora back to the castle. The sooner he wakes up, the better.

_**Aqua**_: But who's going to take him? There's no room on my Glider.

_**Ventus**_: *crestfallen* Not mine, either.

_**Terra**_: Then you can put him on mine. *they look at him, surprised* Mine is designed like a motorcycle. I can carry another person, no problem.

_**Ventus**_: *cheers up* Okay! Problem solved! *Terra and Aqua sweat drop*

_**Terra**_: *sighs* All right, then. *picks up Sora, activates his Keyblade Glider, and sets him on the back* Let's get going!

_**Ventus & Aqua**_: *activates their Keyblade Gliders* Okay!

*They blast off. They are traveling in between the worlds when Terra suddenly groans*

_**Aqua**_: *inquiring* What is it, Terra?

_**Terra**_: *wanting to plug his nose but can't because he is full clad in armor* Sora is still covered in sweat…not the most pleasant thing to smell.

_**Aqua**_: *eyes grow wide underneath her helmet* Wow, Ven. You really did a number on him.

_**Ventus**_: *indignant, making a metal fist* It wasn't even me that did that!

*Aqua and Terra laugh*

_**Aqua**_: Come on. Let's go home. He needs intense medical attention.

_**Terra**_: Both of them, it looks like. *gives a mischievous grin*

_**Ventus**_: *protesting, realizing what he's getting at* Hey!

_**Terra**_: *chuckles* I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Let's hurry, though. He has to take a much-needed bath if the medical crew is going to work on him. *zooms off, with Aqua and Ven following*

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sorry I took so long! Like I said, I was waiting for Word 2010. That aside, I really put a lot of drama into this (my kind of drama, anyway) and I think it turned out pretty good. Sorry if some of those pain moments were too dramatic. I'm not gonna deny it; I'm such a fangirl! I'm gonna enjoy writing this even more now!<strong>_


	5. Lost

_**Okay, I honestly have nothing to say until like the 13th chapter so...you'll just get the preview until then :D**_

**After the…"incident" with Ventus; Terra, Ven and Aqua take Sora back to the Land of Departure for recuperation. Once there, Terra informs them that it might take about a week for Sora to wake up, if at all, and that his condition was worse than Terra had predicted, due to the torture he went through and the close brush he had with death last chapter. So, during that time, they watch over him carefully until he is awake, though when he does, they face a whole new set of problems…**

**Ch. 5 Lost**

**Land of Departure**

_**Aqua**_: *holds up a hand* Wait. Just hold on a minute!

_**Terra**_: *pauses* Hmm?

_**Aqua**_: Let me get this straight. You told Riku that Sora would be awake in a few days…

_**Terra**_: *nods* That's right.

_**Aqua**_: …but you're telling me that he's actually going to take a _whole week_?

_**Terra**_: Yes.

_**Aqua**_: *indignant* But, Terra, this will make him worry even more!

_**Terra**_: Yeah, I know…I thought that he would be out only for a few days, but after the medics examined him, they said not to expect him to wake up for a week or so.

_**Aqua**_: *throws her arms up in the air* Well, what do we do now? Do we keep it a secret? Or should we tell him?

_**Terra**_: *crosses his arms and closes his eyes in concentration* Hmm…(This isn't something easily decided…)

_**Aqua**_: *demanding* Well?

_**Terra**_: *unfolds his arms* I think that it is best that we wait for a few more days and see what happens. If nothing goes wrong, we can let him know that he can visit him.

_**Aqua**_: *argues* Terra, don't-

_**Terra**_: *stops her with a look* Look, I'm not any happier about this than you are.

_**Aqua**_: *protesting* But-

_**Terra**_: I'm only doing the practical thing here, not what's morally right. It's been two days already. We need to make it so the situation can be well-handled by both.

_**Aqua**_: *waits a few moments* I lost, didn't I?

_**Terra**_: *lips twitch* Yes, you have.

_**Aqua**_: *crosses her arms* Fine. I won't argue. But I _will_ take charge if something goes wrong, and you can't say _anything_ about it.

_**Terra**_: *rolls his eyes* Let's go to Sora's room.

**Sora's Room**

_**Ventus**_: *looks up as Terra and Aqua walk in* Hey, guys! *stifles a huge yawn* Good morning!

_**Aqua**_: *looks him over* Ven, you should really get some rest.

_**Ventus**_: *shakes his head* No, no, I'm okay. Honest.

_**Aqua**_: *sits down next to him on the edge of the bed* Ven, I know that you made a promise to Riku, but you really need to get some sleep. You stayed up all night here, didn't you?

_**Ventus**_: *holds up his hands as if in surrender* You caught me. I stayed, just in case something happened to him.

_**Terra**_: *still standing* Ven, he's going to be out like a light for the whole week. You should rest. We'll watch him.

_**Ventus**_: *looks like he'll fall asleep any minute* You promise?

_**Aqua**_: *reassures him* Of course, Ven. Go to bed. We'll let you know if anything happens.

_**Ventus**_: *yawns and stretches* Well, if you say so. *walks out the doorway* I'll nap for a few hours and see how he's doing then. Good night…*he leaves*

*Terra examines Sora on the bed, a frown on his face*

_**Aqua**_: *turns to Terra, anxious* Well, how does he look?

_**Terra**_: *straightens up* He seems to be fine now. His face has relaxed more and his breathing slowed down, but his heartbeat's got me worried. It's too slow. It's there, but slower than it should be for a heartbeat. *walks to the other side of the room*

_**Aqua**_: *looks down at Sora, who appears to be sleeping peacefully* But he seems in perfectly good condition…he's still a little pale…but he's as perfectly fine it can get when he's unconscious, but…

_**Terra**_: As they say, you can't judge by what you see. You'll never know what'll happen. I'll call the medics to check on him. *takes out a walkie-talkie-like device and calls in the medics. In seconds the medics are heard in the hallway*

_**Medic 1**_: Yes? What is it?

_**Terra**_: Check his heart rate. It's too slow for my liking.

_**Medic 2**_: Of course. Right away. *turns to the others* Well, you heard him! Let's get it done!

*the medics scramble about getting the equipment and is finished in seconds*

_**Medic 1**_: *examining his heart rate* Hmm…

_**Aqua**_: *can't help herself* How is he?

_**Medic 1**_: *looks up* It's fairly stable for now. You needn't worry too much yet.

_**Medic 3**_: Just call us again if something goes wrong. *they file out the door*

_**Aqua**_: Terra, I think you're overreacting. We should calm down and believe in Sora. He'll make it.

_**Terra**_: I know, but…

*The heart machine starts beeping, indicating the heart rate has dropped suddenly to a dangerously low level. Terra yells at the medics to come back quickly and they perform heart compressions. After a few tense minutes, Sora's heart rate goes back up again*

_**Aqua**_: *still tense* Oh, my goodness…w-we almost lost him…

_**Terra**_: *breathing hard, trying to relax, then speaks to the medics breathlessly* Thank goodness you hadn't gotten far. Who knows what would've happened…

_**Medic 1**_: No need to worry. He'll be fine now. It will last him until the date he is set to awaken.

_**Terra**_: *fervently* Thank you. You may leave now.

*The medics leave*

_**Aqua**_: *holding a hand to her chest, trying to calm herself* We-we almost…

_**Terra**_: *calmer now, but still shaken* Don't worry, he'll be fine. *they look up as Ven bursts into the room with a wild expression on his haggard face*

_**Aqua**_: *surprised* Ven!

_**Ventus**_: *panting* I heard Terra yelling and it woke me up! Did something happen?

_**Aqua**_: *glances at Terra*

_**Terra**_: *looks back at her for a moment, then nods in permission*

_**Aqua**_: *turns to Ventus* It happened a few minutes after you left. Terra was worried about how low Sora's heart rate was, so we called the medics. After they set up the equipment, they examined him, and he seemed to be fine, so they started to leave, when Sora suddenly had a heart attack…thank goodness that they managed to save him in time.

*Ven is pale*

_**Ventus**_: *stammering, still white with shock* S-so, you're saying…*realization hits* You mean, h-he almost-?

_**Terra**_: *nods quietly*

_**Ventus**_: *puts his hand on his face* I-I had no idea it was this bad…I didn't think…it would be so- *snaps up and declares defiantly* I'm not leaving his room after this. You guys can't make me leave. If you want me to leave, you'd have to kill me first. Don't even _think_ about guilt-tripping me. I'll sleep in the chair. I'll-

_**Terra**_: *holds up a hand and Ven stops talking* Slow down there, buddy. *crosses his arms and grins*

_**Ventus**_: *confused* Huh?

_**Aqua**_: *smiles* We kind of expected that response. Anyone would.

_**Terra**_: Go ahead. Bring in your things before I change my mind. *winks mischievously*

_**Ventus**_: *smiles with understanding and nods eagerly* Yeah! *runs to his room to get his things*

_**Aqua**_: You know, Ven can really come through sometimes, don't you think so?

_**Terra**_: *chuckles to himself* Yes. He sure does, Aqua.

**2 Days After the Call, Destiny Islands**

_**Kairi**_: *impatient* Riku, did they call yet?

_**Riku**_: Calm down, Kairi. Since they didn't call, he should be fine. It's like you _want_ something to happen to him so you can go see him.

_**Kairi**_: *blushes* Th-that's not true! He's my best friend! It's natural to worry about your best friends!

_**Riku**_: *laughs* Chill out, Kairi. He's fine. Trust me.

_**Kairi**_: *stubbornly* But how are you so sure?

_**Riku**_: Like I said before, they will call us whenever something happens and when he wakes up. You've been worked up since the news about his heart attack.

_**Kairi**_: Of course I'm worked up! What if it happens again and he doesn't make it? *balls up a fist* Ugh, I always tell him to be more careful! And he has to go and get a heat stroke while looking for Ven in Agrabah! Someone's skin will be dyed for this!

_**Riku**_: _(That lie worked pretty well.)_ *trying to settle her down* Listen, since they haven't called us, nothing bad has happened to him, so relax, okay? Have some faith in Sora. He'll pull through. He won't leave us behind. Not ever.

_**Kairi**_: *stares at Riku while processing what he has just said, then smiles, reassured* Right…he'll be perfectly fine.

**5 Days After the Call, Twilight Town**

_**Hayner**_: Roxas! Look out!

_**Roxas**_: Wha- *looks up just as the Grandstander ball smacks into his face and knocks him over, his bat flying out of his hands* Ow!

_**Pence**_: *runs over to him and helps him up* Hey, man, you okay?

_**Roxas**_: *gets pulled up* Yeah, I'm fine.

_**Olette**_: *nervous* He doesn't mean physically, Roxas.

_**Roxas**_: *starts* Oh…

_**Hayner**_: You worried about Sora again?

_**Roxas**_: *shakes his head* I'm sorry guys, I just can't get that phone call out of my mind… *starts to stutter* He…he almost…I mean-

_**Hayner**_: *interrupts him* Man, that call was 5 days ago! You need to calm down. They haven't called since then.

_**Naminè**_: *tries to reassure him* Yeah, Roxas. I'm sure nothing out of the ordinary happened.

_**Roxas**_: *unsure* Right…

_**Olette**_: *chiding* Oh, Roxas! He'll be fine! If you keep this up, you'll end up in the hospital, too!

_**Roxas**_: *smiles, appreciating the fact that his friends are trying to cheer him up* Right. Okay. I'll believe that he'll wake up.

_**Hayner**_: All right! *waves his bat around* Let's get started! *hits the ball into the air towards Roxas*

_**Roxas**_: *readies his bat* Eat this! *whacks the ball straight at Hayner, which hits him in the face*

_**Pence**_: Ah! Hayner! You okay?

_**Hayner**_: *rubs his nose* Oww…*looks up and grins at Roxas* So you're not out of practice! Still in decent shape?

_**Roxas**_: *smirks* You wouldn't be able to beat me even on your good days!

_**Hayner**_: Aw, come on, man, isn't that a little harsh? *everyone laughs*

_**Olette**_: *having a giggle fit* You should get more practices in, not Roxas!

*Hayner groans and the others continue to laugh, until Roxas's cell phone buzzes *

_**Roxas**_: *jumps about a foot in the air* Agghh!

_**Hayner**_: Roxas, chill out! It's just the phone!

_**Roxas**_: *takes the phone from his pocket with shaking hands*

_**Olette**_: *apprehensively* Who is it?

_**Roxas**_: *looks at the phone and almost dies of relief* It's Axel.

_**Pence**_: Well, what are you waiting for? Pick up the phone!

_**Roxas**_: *picks up the phone* Hey, Axel…what?…really?…you're there now?…oh, you got a call from them… all right, I'm coming right away! *hangs up and looks at his friends* Guys, I've gotta go.

_**Hayner**_: What? Where to?

_**Pence**_: *looks at him questioningly* Roxas? What's going on?

_**Olette**_: Did something happen?

_**Naminè**_: *fearfully* Is he okay?

_**Roxas**_: Yeah, he's okay, all right. Axel told me that he got a call from Terra saying that Sora woke up just a few hours ago. But…there was something wrong. He said that I would know once I got there, so I have to go.

_**Hayner**_: *waves him off urgently* Well, don't keep him waiting! Get going!

_**Roxas**_: *breathless* Right! I'll see you guys later! *opens a Corridor of Darkness and runs in*

**Several Hours Before Sora Woke Up**

_**Aqua**_: *looking at Sora hopefully* He looks a lot better than before, don't you think, Terra?

_**Terra**_: *smiles* I venture to say so.

_**Aqua**_: I never imagined that he would be out for so long, though…it shocked me…

_**Terra**_: No need to worry, Aqua. He's definitely on the mend. The color is coming back to his face and his temperature went up to normal levels. I won't be surprised if he wakes up later today.

_**Aqua**_: *smiles and nods, relieved*

_**Ventus**_: *walks into the room* Hey, we've got a visitor!

_**Terra**_: What? Who came? *looks up to see Axel coming in* Oh, it's you, Axel.

_**Axel**_: *waves* Hey, Terra. *walks to the edge of the bed* So how's our sleepyhead doing?

_**Ventus**_: *eager* He's doing great! He might wake up later today! At least that's what the medics said.

_**Axel**_: *perks up* Really? That's great!

_**Aqua**_: But he still needs his rest. Don't let the others know yet; we want it to be a surprise.

_**Axel**_: *chuckles* No problem. Glad to see that Sora's gonna be fine. I've gotta go now, I've got errands to run. See you guys later! *leaves*

*After he leaves, Ven hangs around in the room for a few hours. Then suddenly, he hears movements on the bed. He moves over to the edge just as Sora opens his eyes*

_**Ventus**_: *in complete disbelief* Sora…? *He doesn't respond. Ven realizes that he is still dazed* I can't believe this! I've got to go get Terra and Aqua! *calls their names out the door* Terra! Aqua! Sora woke up! He's awake!

*They hear his voice and come running*

_**Terra**_: *breathless* He's awake?

_**Ventus**_: *impatiently* Why would I be lying about that, Terra? Sora opened his eyes!

_**Aqua**_: Come on!

*They run to the edge of the bed, and by this time Sora is sitting up, looking at them with a confused-even slightly wary-expression on his face*

_**Aqua**_: *relief clear in her voice* Sora! You're awake! We were so worried!

_**Sora**_: *still bleary*Wh-where am I? What am I doing here?

_**Ventus**_: You're in our castle room. We came here after you passed out last week. *blurts out in relief* I can't believe it; I thought you were never going to wake up! I can't wait until everybody hears about this!

_**Sora**_: *still looks confused* Wha…?

_**Terra**_: *frowns, concerned* You looked confused. Is everything all right?

_**Sora**_: Well…*seems uncomfortable with the trio around him, which confuses them* Yeah, I'm fine… I do have a question though.

_**Aqua**_: *urging him* What is it?

_**Ventus**_: *follows her example* Yeah. Fire away.

_**Sora**_: *still looks uncertain* Um, okay…*scratches his head* I mean, no offense, but…*looks up at them inquiringly* Who are you guys?

* * *

><p><em><strong>I'm done! I'm sorry if it was a little short; I just couldn't wait to get to the ending! I had it all planned out! Now things are gonna get going! I'm really starting to like what flies off my fingers when I type these up. I've found my calling! I hope you enjoyed reading it, because I had a blast writing it! Sorry if you want comedy instead of drama; it'll come back soon, I promise!<strong>_


	6. The Heart Never Forgets Part 1

**So there's nothing to be worried about…the worlds are all safe, no evil shadows threatening to possess jealous people, all our heroes are going to gather together for a reunion…and Sora has amnesia from being tortured by the evil shadow. Yeah. Nothing to get worked up over. Just wait a few years then let him realize by himself what's going on…which is what some people would want me to say. But I'm not that sort of person, so…let's go jog his memory!**

**Ch. 6 Part 1 The Heart Never Forgets**

**Land of Departure**

*All three of them are frozen in shock*

_**Sora**_: *abashed* I-I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me if you can't.

_**Ventus**_: *shakes his head, then looks at him in disbelief* Y-you're joking, right, Sora? Please tell me you're joking!

_**Terra**_: *completely confused* Sora, what are you saying?

_**Aqua**_: *anxious* We're your friends! Don't you remember?

_**Sora**_: *puzzled* Uh, I'm not sure. Have we met each other before?

_**Aqua**_: *desperate* But, Sora! You helped us look for Ven when he ran away, then when we found him possessed by that shadow; he tortured you until you passed out! You don't remember any of that?

_**Ventus**_: *looks at Aqua in irritation* For the umpteenth time, it _wasn't me_!

_**Sora**_: *looks at them like they're psycho* Can something like that actually happen?

_**Terra**_: *mostly to himself* How can this be happening? I never expected this…thought it might have been PTSD…how did it…?

_**Sora**_: *shakes his head to clear it* What in the world… *fires another question* Hold on. Why am I here? Are you guys kidnappers or something?

_**Ventus**_: *stressed now* No! We're not kidnappers! We told you, we're your friends!

_**Sora**_: *getting irritated* Then what am I doing here?

_**Ventus**_: You've been recuperating ever since you got tortured!

_**Sora**_: *desperate and confused* What torture? What happened to me?

_**Aqua**_: You tell us! You go through all that and you're telling me that you don't remember any of it?

_**Sora**_: *looks at Aqua with a questioning look* What? What am I supposed to remember?

_**Terra**_: *walks up* Guys. Back off.

*Aqua and Ven back up into the chairs and sit down, questions burning in their eyes*

_**Terra**_: *turns to Sora and stares him down* Sora.

_**Sora**_: *intimidated* Y-yeah?

_**Terra**_: *waves a hand* Can I ask you a few questions? I just need to confirm something.

_**Sora**_: *nervous* Uh-um…sure, I guess.

_**Terra**_: *crosses his arms* All right. Where did you come from?

_**Sora**_: *starts to answer* I- *stops short, then puts his fingers on his forehead, trying to think* I…I'm not sure.

_**Terra**_: *nods, keeping a calm façade* Okay. Who are your friends?

_**Sora**_: *seems genuinely shocked* Huh? What friends?

_**Terra**_: *gasps, shocked into silence* _(This is worse than I thought…)_

_**Sora**_: *tilts his head in concern* Um, hey. Are you okay?

_**Terra**_: *calms himself quickly* Uh, I'm sorry. I was lost in thought.

_**Aqua**_: *surprised beyond belief* I-I can't believe this…Sora, he-

_**Ventus**_: *calling from his chair* Hey, of course you've got friends! You've got us!

_**Sora**_: *backs up to the head of the bed, then looks down at the sheets with a pained look* Okay, you guys are really starting to scare me. Can I have some time alone? I…I need time to think things through.

_**Ventus**_: *starts to get up and walk over to the bed* Sora-

_**Terra**_: *grabs his shoulder* Lay off, Ven.

_**Ventus**_: *starts to protest* But Terra-

_**Terra**_: *holds up a hand and stops him* No. He's had enough for one day. We should let him rest. *gives both Aqua and Ventus a look*

_**Ventus**_: *understanding the message, nods* Okay. Let's go.

*They leave the room. They are silent until they reach Terra's bedroom, then Aqua can't hold it in*

_**Aqua**_: *blurts out* Terra, what in the world happened to Sora?

_**Ventus**_: *crosses his arms, displeased* I honest-to-goodness hope that it's a joke, 'cause even if it is, it's not very funny.

_**Terra**_: *closes his eyes, as if he doesn't want to admit what he's about to say, then opens them, looking straight at Aqua and Ventus* Sora has amnesia.

_**Aqua**_: *astonished, almost unable to speak, then stammers* H-he…has _amnesia_?

_**Terra**_: *nods grimly*

_**Ventus**_: *upset* You mean, like, trauma-induced-long-term-memory-loss amnesia? *shaking his head, trying to deny it* There's no way!

_**Terra**_: *in full report mode* Well, it seems like he can remember his name at least. He didn't act shocked when we called him by his name…but everything else…he has no memory of them. *crosses his arms and closes his eyes in concentration* I wonder if it's a side-effect from what that shadow was able to do…or maybe this is another thing that he can do. Sora was still talking with us until his pain started getting worse and he started to talk to something else, like pleading…and the way he was holding his head, as if to keep something there…*pauses, musing, then his head snaps up* Yes! That has to be it!

_**Aqua**_: *pleading* What? What made it happen?

_**Terra**_: *in a rush as to not forget to mention everything* While the shadow being was torturing Sora, he was apparently able to give him headaches, seizures, hyperventilation, cardiac arrest, and heat exhaustion, all at the same time. Since all those symptoms can't possibly occur together normally, I think the shadow was able to inflict pain independently, wherever and however he wants it to be. And when Sora had the headaches and pleading at something invisible to stop, it must have been that the shadow was trying to rip away his memories! And right after that, he must have made Sora pass out, in order to hide the fact that he took all of his memories away from him. And even though the shadow was defeated, the memory loss remained, as evidenced…which could mean that those memories are locked deep within his heart, where you can't reach by normal means. The shadow must have hidden them there right before he vanished. He…he needs a special 'something' - a _key_, so to speak - to unlock those memories. *shakes his head in frustration* But we haven't the faintest idea of what it could be.

_**Ventus**_: *covers his face in guilt, taking in these words* Oh, God…

_**Aqua**_: *looks over at Ventus, concerned* Hey, you okay?

_**Ventus**_: *looks up angrily in tears* No! I'm _not_ okay! I'm the one who made this happen! If it weren't for me, Sora would be perfectly fine! *looks down, fists clenched* I just…just _hate_ myself!

_**Aqua**_: *touching his shoulder, trying to reassure him* No, you didn't, Ven. No one could have blamed you.

_**Ventus**_: *livid* They probably should have.

_**Aqua**_: *worried* Don't talk like that, Ven!

_**Terra**_: *nods in agreement* She's right. This problem can't be fixed if you keep beating yourself up with guilt.

_**Ventus**_: *indignant* Then how are we going to help him? He can't remember anything but his name!

_**Terra**_: *pretends to muse, then flips open his cell phone* I think a reunion is in order.

**Several Days Later in the Land of Departure**

*Terra is speaking to everyone in the main room, telling them of his revelation*

_**Terra**_: *finishing his story* …and I think that's how we're going to get Sora's memories back. We need ideas from everyone.

*Everyone has mixed reactions. Riku and Kairi look deathly pale, Roxas and Naminè are shocked still, Axel looks grim*

_**Riku**_: *shaking his head in disbelief* Oh, my God…Sora…he has amnesia…he doesn't remember anything… _(His mom's gonna kill me…)_

_**Kairi**_: *looking just about to collapse into tears and shaking her head violently* I don't believe it! Sora doesn't have amnesia! You're lying to me!

*Aqua looks at her, then bites her lip, not wanting to talk, which forces Kairi to accept the truth*

**Kairi**: *sobbing* Oh, Sora…

_**Roxas**_: *breathing hard* Sora…and amnesia? …How?

_**Naminè**_: *covering her mouth in horror* Th-that can't be true…that sort of thing…even I can't do anything about it…

_**Axel**_: *grudgingly* Well, it's to be expected, that damn shadow…

_**Terra**_: *pained to see their faces* I know it's hard to accept, but we can't just stand here in shock and denial. *straightens* We have to do something.

_**Roxas**_: Like what?

_**Ventus**_: *thinking* Well, maybe it would be good if he visited places he's already been to. That might do something to help. It might trigger something, won't it?

_**Axel**_: *whistles* That's not a bad idea. I've seen this happen before, but those were short-term…I guess it's worth a shot. Never know what's going to happen, 'specially with Sora.

_**Aqua**_: *looks hopefully at Terra, who smiles and nods*

_**Terra**_: It could work. Let's try it.

_**Aqua**_: *nods* Okay. We should go bring Sora.

_**Ventus**_: *volunteers immediately* I'll go get him.

_**Terra**_: *nods in assent* Hurry.

_**Ventus**_: *smiles with a thumbs up* Consider it done! *runs up the stairs to Sora's room, leaving everyone else back in the main room, and bursts through the door*

_**Sora**_: *so surprised that he nearly falls off the bed while reading a book* Aagh! What the heck was that for, Ventus?

_**Ventus**_: *stops to catch his breath* Oh, sorry about that. *gets back to the subject and pulls Sora off the bed* Come on, Sora. There are people that want to see you. *pulls him out the door*

_**Sora**_: *surprised* Hey-! *gets pulled down the stairs* Hey, are these the people that you keep telling me are my friends?

_**Ventus**_: *nods, still dragging Sora* Yep. All of them are here, and they want to see what happened to you.

_**Sora**_: What happened to- *gets confused all over again and makes a bemused face* Geez, you're starting to make no sense again, Ventus.

_**Ventus**_: *mutters to himself* I hope I do soon. *enters the main room with Sora in tow (Like, literally in tow)*

*Sora starts looking around the room at his 'friends'*

_**Roxas**_: *looks up and gasps* Hey! It's Sora!

_**Riku**_: *quietly* Sora…

_**Axel**_: *grins* Well, well. Look who decided to show up.

_**Namin**__**è**_: *smiles, glad to see that he is fine* Sora! You're all right!

_**Kairi**_: *running to him, still in tears* Sora! *tackles him with a hug*

_**Sora**_: *shocked* Agh! *almost falls backward, then looks down at Kairi who is hugging him tightly* Uh… *cocks his head* Have I seen you before?

_**Kairi**_: *looks up at Sora who looks at her curiously, then buries her face in his shirt in horror* Oh, God…it's true…

*Sora looks at the Land of Departure trio questioningly. Terra nods at Aqua to tell him*

_**Aqua**_: *steps up and smiles* Sora…*waves a hand at the gang* These are your friends.

_**Sora**_: *taken aback, he steps back a step, and looks at the group with awe* Wow…really? They're all my friends? *looks back at Terra and points down at Kairi* Even her?

_**Terra**_:*nods and smiles as Sora blushes*

_**Aqua**_: *elaborating* They're all here to help you…to help you remember them.

_**Sora**_: *starts with surprise* Really? These people…I mean…my- *has difficulty saying the word* my friends…are going to help me?

_**Terra**_: *nods again* That's right. We're going to start…*indicates Roxas*…with him. *Sora looks over at him in interest*

_**Terra**_: *calls Roxas over* Hey, Roxas! You're up first!

_**Roxas**_: *looks up excitedly* Really? All right! *jumps up and runs toward them*

_**Terra**_: *introduces each other* Sora, this is Roxas, who was your sword-fighting partner whenever Riku wasn't around. And Roxas…*grins* you already know him.

_**Sora**_: *startled* Huh? I can sword-fight?

_**Roxas**_: *nods in agreement* Yep! You were probably one of the best around.

_**Sora**_: *scratches his head, embarrassed, then holds out a hand* Thanks. Oh, and um, nice to meet you.

_**Roxas**_: *takes his hand and shakes it* Same here. *grins* So, Sora, you ready for a trip down memory lane?

_**Sora**_: *confused* _What?_

_**Roxas**_: *shakes his head impatiently* Come on, you'll know when you get there. *pulls him by the arm* Let's go! *opens up a Corridor of Darkness*

_**Sora**_: *amazed, open-mouthed* Whoa! That's cool!

_**Roxas**_: *about to run in when he remembers something* Oh, that's right. *calls Terra* Hey, Terra! You got any extra cloaks? *A black ball of leather slams into his face and knocks him over. He is still on the ground when he replies* Thanks!

_**Sora**_: *almost had a heart attack from seeing the coat fly into Roxas's face out of nowhere* Hey, you all right?

_**Roxas**_: *gets up, holding the cloak* Yeah, I'm fine. *hands him the cloak* Here. You'll need to wear this.

_**Sora**_: *takes it, looks it over, then puts it on* Uh, what's this for?

_**Roxas**_: It protects you from the influences of the Corridor of Darkness. Without it, your heart will be corrupted by the darkness and you'll become a Heartless, which I'll get into later.

_**Sora**_: *inquiring* Then how come you're not wearing one?

_**Roxas**_: *groans at the amount of explaining he has to do later* It's a long story. Let's just go, okay?

*Roxas pulls Sora by the hood*

_**Sora**_: *startled* Whoa-!

*The corridor closes up after they disappear inside*

**Twilight Town**

_**Roxas**_: *spreads his arms* Well, here we are. Welcome to Twilight Town!

_**Sora**_: *looks around, amazed* Wow… *still looking at the scenery* You…live here, don't you?

_**Roxas**_: *surprised, as he didn't tell him on the way there* Yeah, I do. How did you know that?

_**Sora**_: *shrugs indifferently* Well, you and this town…it seemed like a good match.

_**Roxas**_: *looks slightly offended* Gee, thanks a bunch.

_**Sora**_: *confesses* Actually, that wasn't the only reason…

_**Roxas**_: *urges him, hopeful* Yeah?

_**Sora**_: *has difficulty explaining* Well, it's a sort of…of nostalgia, you know? And…it's even weirder when you know you haven't been there, but you have this strange familiar feeling inside. That's kind of the way I felt, seeing you in this town.

_**Roxas**_: *happy beyond belief* Yes! *notices Sora looking at him with a look apparently questioning his sanity and tries to keep his emotions in check* Sorry. Okay…you know that I live here. So…can you think of anyone else?

_**Sora**_: *crosses his arms and thinks* Hmm…Oh, yeah! That one blonde girl, right? Thought I felt something like that when I saw her.

_**Roxas**_: *nods eagerly* Yeah! That's her!

_**Sora**_: *curious * Does she live with you, or what? From the way I saw you guys, you look pretty close to each other.

_**Roxas**_: *embarrassed* Yeah. Long story involved. *makes a fist excitedly* Wow, I can't believe it! Ven hit the nail on the head!

_**Sora**_: *blanks out for a moment then looks at Roxas* Uh, what?

_**Roxas**_: *explains to Sora what he meant, then gets excited all over again* This is awesome! By the time you visit the other places, you'll remember us in no time!

_**Sora**_: *tries to get excited, but doesn't exactly know what to be excited about* Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean by that?

_**Roxas**_: *goes to explaining* You know that feeling you when we got here, like you've been here before? *Sora nods* Well, we're trying to make you feel that by visiting places that you've been to the most, to help you remember everything about yourself. It's the only thing we've got at hand, see, until Terra finds a way to get your memories back for good.

_**Sora**_: *tentative* Uh…will that…really help?

_**Roxas**_: *shakes his head while talking* Well…not completely. Terra says that there's something out there that can bring everything back to you, but we don't know what it is yet, so…*claps him on the shoulder* we're taking you to different worlds to help you as much as we can while the rest of them try to figure it out. It's not easy on any of us, knowing that you don't remember us but we remember you. Kind of a sticky situation to be in, you know what I'm saying?

_**Sora**_: *understands* Yeah. Well, thanks, you guys. *starts to look uncomfortable again* You don't have to trouble yourselves over me, you know. I…I'm sorry-

_**Roxas**_: *cuts him off by holding up a hand, then grins at him* Don't sweat it. We're your friends. And friends help each other.

_**Sora**_: *smiles back and nods seriously* Thanks. Really.

_**Roxas**_: *stretches his arms* Well? *opens the Corridor of Darkness then turns to him* Ready to head back? Time for you to be handed off to the next player.

_**Sora**_: *puzzled, totally innocent* Huh? What does that mean?

_**Roxas**_: *brushes it of real casually* Oh, nothing. *winks in amusement* Let's just go back, okay? *turns and walks into the corridor*

*Sora stares after him for a moment in confusion, then puts on the cloak and runs in after him before the portal closes*

**Back in the Land of Departure**

*Terra is pacing, trying to figure out the 'key' to unlocking Sora's memories while also worrying about Sora's progress in Twilight Town, when the Corridor of Darkness suddenly opens*

_**Terra**_: *looks up and stops in his pacing* Roxas! Sora!

_**Roxas**_: *waves at Terra* Hey, Terra!

_**Aqua**_: *walks up to them, anxious to know what happened* Well? Did it work?

*Roxas goes on to explain what Sora had told him while they were in Twilight Town. The Land of Departure trio looks slightly more hopeful*

_**Ventus**_: *very happy* So that means my plan wasn't a total flub after all? It actually had an effect on him?

_**Aqua**_: *looks at Ven questioningly* What are you talking about, Ven?

_**Ventus**_: *backing off with a sweat drop* N-nothing. Nothing at all.

_**Aqua**_: *accusing* You didn't think your idea would really work, did you?

_**Ventus**_: *confesses under pressure* Well…*scratches his head in confession* Considering Sora's mental capacity before his amnesia…not really.

_**Aqua**_: *mock-scolding him* Oh, Ven, think about who Sora is! You know better than that!

_**Ventus**_: *holding his hands up, pleading* Aw, come on, Aqua! You know it's not like that!

_**Terra**_: *grins* Well, we're making a bit of progress. That's good. *smile fades and frowns* But we still have no idea what the 'key' is…

_**Aqua**_: *confident* Don't worry, Terra. We'll figure it out.

_**Ventus**_: *eagerly nods in agreement* Yeah, Terra! We're - well, Sora is, really - coming along fast! We'll figure this out! We've got plenty of help!

_**Terra**_: *grins, reassured* All right…if you guys say so.

_**Aqua**_: *looks around the room* Speaking of Sora…where is he?

*They look around, then realize that he's probably up in his room again*

_**Aqua**_: *shakes her head* That Sora…always running off when he doesn't need to do anything…

_**Ventus**_: *laughs* Well, that's Sora for you, all right.

_**Terra**_: *turns to him and grins at him slyly* I wouldn't be talking if I were you, Ven. Where did Sora get his personality in the first place?

_**Ventus**_: *turns red, embarrassed at what Terra is saying. He makes a fist and tries to preserve his dignity* Sh-shut up!

*The atmosphere is clearly lighter as everyone in the room starts laughing*

* * *

><p><em><strong>Are my chapters getting shorter now? Sorry about that. I'm trying to stretch this chapter into two parts and just trying to save the ending for the next chapter. And plus, my dad of all people reduced my enthusiasm by saying, "You're copying other people's ideas if you take someone's ideas and change it!" Well, Dad, I'm having fun writing this parody, and people like reading it, and a whole bunch of people write spinoffs of popular anime anyway! Deal with it! …Anyway, I'm really liking how this stuff is turning out. I had much more fun with this than I ever had with my Naruto chats (the stuff I wrote before this parody) so I'm happy. :D<strong>_


	7. The Heart Never Forgets Part 2

**Okay, so when we left off, Sora seemed to be making okay progress with the regaining-memory process, which began at Twilight Town. Now he is off to Radiant Garden with Axel as his guide. Things start off okay initially, but suddenly they face something that they're not ready to encounter and are forced to defend themselves. However, this just might be the thing they needed to get Sora's memory back for good…**

**Ch 6 Part 2 The Heart Never Forgets**

**Land of Departure**

*It's noon. There is sudden commotion in the highest floor of the castle*

_**Ventus**_: *screams in Sora's ears at the top of his lungs* _SORA! WAKE UP ALREADY!_

_**Sora**_: *so surprised that he jumps and hits the ceiling* Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaghhh! *falls back down on his face on top of his covers and stays there, freaked out*

_**Ventus**_: *vein twitching at the effort he had to put into waking him, arms crossed* Are you really up now?  
><em><strong>Sora<strong>_: *still freaked out and gasps in surprise* I-I hope not…

_**Ventus**_: *sighs in irritation with his hands at his hips* _(Okay, he's awake.)_ Would it seriously kill you to wake up the first time I tell you to?

_**Sora**_: *sighs in relief and puts his hand to his chest to calm himself down. He then glares up at Ventus* Okay, okay; I'm sorry! Geez!

_**Ventus**_: *raises his eyebrows like 'No, you're not.'* O~kay…anyway, hurry up and get dressed; Axel's going to be here any minute! It's noon already!

_**Sora**_: *looks up at Ventus, surprised* Really? *glances at the clock to realize that Ventus is right, and freaks out* Oh, no! I overslept! *jumps out of bed and starts to look for his clothes* Why didn't you tell me earlier?

_**Ventus**_: *sweat drops* I _did_ tell you earlier! I've been here since 7:00!

_**Sora**_: *still rummaging around* Okay, I get the point! Where in the world is my cloak?

_**Ventus**_: *groans and points* It's right by your bed like it always is!

_**Sora**_: *turns to see his cloak at his bedside* Oh, right! *grabs them and starts running down the stairway*

_**Ventus**_: *surprised at Sora's actions and follows him* Hey, are you nervous about him being the one taking you?

_**Sora**_: *pauses and looks back at Ventus, surprised* No, I'm not nervous. *smiles at him in elation* In fact, I'm super excited! Where's he taking me? What will I look like?

_**Ventus**_: *puts his hands on his hips and chuckles* Don't get too worked up, Sora. You're going to Radiant Garden, and you won't change into anything there.

_**Sora**_: *crosses his arms and pouts* Man, that's not cool.

_**Ventus**_: *rolls his eyes* Quit acting like a kid and let's go, already. He might be waiting for you now. *suddenly grabs his arm and pulls him down the stairway*

_**Sora**_: *yelps in surprise, and complains to Ventus on the way down* Come on, Ventus! Could you please stop doing that? One of these days you're going to pull my arm off!

_**Ventus**_: *looks over his shoulder at Sora and grins with a gleam in his eyes* Is that a request?

_**Sora**_: *indignant* Cut it out! *Ventus laughs and they emerge in the main room, where Axel is waiting, sitting at the dining table. Terra is next to him watching television while Aqua is setting a plate down for herself*

_**Axel**_: *looks up from a book and grins with an amused expression* Well, look who decided to leave today.

_**Sora**_: *sheepish, scratching his head* Er, sorry. I overslept.

_**Ventus**_: *nods* Yep. If you can call sleeping in until noon while I was screaming my head off the whole time sounding like I was trying to wake a dead person *leans at Sora for emphasis* _oversleeping_.

_**Sora**_: *flustered, trying to shut Ventus up* H-hey! Don't say things like that!

_**Axel**_: *stands up and stretches, then puts down the book* Well? Hurry and grab something to eat, Sora. We're leaving now.

_**Sora**_: *looks back at the trio desperately* Um, is there anything that can be eaten on the go?

_**Aqua**_: *laughs in amusement* Relax, Sora. *hands him a sandwich* Here you go, your favorite. Good luck!

_**Sora**_: Wow, awesome! *takes several bites and waves* Thanks!

_**Axel**_: *already opened up a Corridor of Darkness and is waiting for Sora* Come on, man! Those memories won't remember themselves!

_**Sora**_: *rushes to the corridor after Axel while putting his cloak on* Wait, I'm coming! *waves at the gang again* See ya! *disappears into the corridor as it vanishes*

_**Aqua**_: *smiles* He seems more like the Sora we knew every day.

_**Ventus**_: *nods eagerly* Yeah, I know, right? Today is going to go without a hitch!

_**Terra**_: *is preoccupied with the news, then a piece of news causes him to sit up in horror* Oh, no!

_**Aqua**_: *surprised, and runs to Terra* Terra? What's wrong?

*Terra is too numb to speak. Aqua herself watches the news*

_**TV Announcer**_ (Who happens to be none other than Merlin): …more yesterday, I believe. They have been coming up in numbers unheard of after the worlds were saved. Citizens are advised to stay inside their homes while shop-owners set up shop in different places. *a blurry image of some unknown creatures appears on the screen* This is a photo one of our citizens managed to shoot while fleeing a scene. So far there haven't been any casualties; however, injuries have been reported. Please be on your guard. They are stealthy and very dangerous, so please watch yourselves. On that happy note, we come to Aerith for gardening tips…

*The news broadcast ends. The trio is shocked speechless*

_**Aqua**_: *is the first to speak* Sora…

_**Terra**_: *anxious expression* This is bad…really bad…

_**Ventus**_: *shocked, though he isn't exactly sure why, but he just has a bad feeling* Wh-what's wrong? It's only a couple of monsters, right? They can handle them, no problem…*falters under Terra's glare*

_**Terra**_: *dark expression* Axel will be all right, but Sora… he can't defend himself. He doesn't even know that he can.

_**Aqua**_: *looks at Terra* So what do we do?

_**Terra**_: *closes his eyes and sighs*For now…let's hope Axel can also function as a bodyguard.

**Radiant Garden**

_**Axel**_: *stretches his arms toward the sky* Ah, home sweet home!

_**Sora**_: *looks around, excited* So this is where you live! It's a really nice place.

_**Axel**_: *gives Sora a sideways grin* Yep, that's right. So? Does this place ring any bells?

_**Sora**_: *takes a look around again* Come to think of it…I do remember something about this place.

_**Axel**_: *looks at him in interest* Yeah? Like what?

_**Sora**_: *looks down and shakes his head* Not totally sure, but I'm getting a bad vibe. Like something bad happened here before, and I was there.

_**Axel**_: *muses* _(He's probably talking about the Heartless army that the Organization unleashed here, though he probably doesn't realize it. But he's right…I'm getting a bad feeling, too…like something about to spring on us.)_

_**Sora**_: *looks at Axel with a puzzled expression* Axel, is everything okay?

_**Axel**_: *looks up* Oh, yeah. I'm okay. Let's get going. *turns around* Come on. I'm going to introduce you to a few more friends. *walks away*

_**Sora**_: What? *watches him leave, then quickly runs after him* I have friends here?

_**Axel**_: *turns back and grins* Of course, Sora. *winks* You've got friends everywhere.

_**Sora**_: *confused again* What do you mean by that?

_**Axel**_: *crosses his arms* Well, you're not going to find out if you just stand there asking questions the whole time! *jerks his head in the direction he is walking* Let's go.

*Axel starts walking again, leaving Sora behind*

_**Sora**_: *holds out a hand* H-hey! Wait up! *runs to catch up with him*

**Merlin's House**

_**Yuffie**_: I told you, Cid, your invention was a failure! I win the bet!

_**Cid**_: *turned to the computer screen, frowning* Aw, shut up!

_**Leon**_: *shakes his head* What was the point of that bet again…?

_**Yuffie**_: *turns on him* Cid told me that I'm a lazy good-for-nothing! I'm not gonna take that lying down!

_**Merlin**_: *trying to calm her* Now, Yuffie. Do calm down a bit, you hear? You know Cid isn't what he used to be.

_**Yuffie**_: *starts to protest* But Merlin-

*The door suddenly slams open. They turn to see Axel and Sora at the doorway*

_**Yuffie**_: *instantly cheers up* Axel! And Sora, too! *waves enthusiastically* Long time no see, guys!

_**Sora**_: *aside to Axel* Is that girl always hyperactive like that?

_**Axel**_: *whispers back* You have no idea…

_**Aerith**_: *turns to them at the door* Sora! Axel! It's good to see you.

_**Leon**_: *looks up* Hey. It's been a while. You holding up okay?

_**Axel**_: *nods* We're fine for the moment, thanks.

_**Cid**_: *wipes his nose and grins at Sora* Hey there, kid!

_**Sora**_: *indignant* Hey! Where do you get off calling me a kid?

_**Yuffie**_: *laughs* Sora hasn't changed a bit.

_**Merlin**_: *looks up from his spell book and waves* Hello there, lad! Are you keeping up on your studies of magic?

_**Sora**_: *startled* Wh-what? Magic?

_**Merlin**_: *chastising him* Don't tell me you've forgotten, my boy!

_**Sora**_: *protesting* W-wait just a minute! *stares at Merlin and points at him* You're my teacher? *puts his hand on his chest* I can use magic? *points at the rest of the group* By the way, I forgot to ask. You're my friends, right?

*Long, awkward silence while everyone sweat drops, then Leon breaks it*

_**Leon**_: What…

**20 Minutes Later After Axel Explained Everything**

*Everyone is in a state of horror. Sora was sent outside before he started talking*

_**Merlin**_: *strokes his beard* …I see. Quite a predicament you've been thrust in.

_**Axel**_: *serious* Yeah, I know. We're doing all that we can.

_**Leon**_: *face palms in frustration* Just great. And we hoped that you guys could help us…

_**Axel**_: *alert* What? Is something going on?

_**Cid**_: *turns away from the computer and faces them* Those dang Heartless are showin' up by the hundreds. Not much Leon and Yuffie can do by themselves, see. And Tifa's still away searchin' for Cloud and we got no way to contact her.

_**Axel**_: *shocked* What? But I thought they were exterminated for good!

_**Merlin**_: *grim* Of course, many would think so, lad, because they do not show up as much as they used to. But remember: as long as there are hearts with darkness, there will be Heartless.

_**Axel**_: *balls up his fists* Geez, what awful timing! All of our fighters are too busy trying to figure out what the 'key' is to Sora's memories! No one else can help!

_**Yuffie**_: *confident* But don't worry, Axel! You guys can help us! We've got the Keyblade Master of the Realm of Light on our side!

_**Axel**_: *still upset* I can, but what about Sora? He doesn't even know he can fight monsters, much less that he's the Keyblade Master of the Realm of Light!

_**Leon**_: *straightforward* Let's take him with us.

_**Cid**_: *shocked* You crazy, Leon? Kid can't defend himself, let alone fight! He's gonna be a sitting duck out there!

_**Leon**_: *fierce* If we take him to where the Heartless are, it might trigger something! *faces Axel* Listen, if nothing happens, we can always still protect him!

_**Axel**_: *determined now* You're right. We should take care of this now. *rushes out the door* Sora! We're needed! *grabs his arm and pulls him along, while Leon and Yuffie follow*

_**Sora**_: *stumbles, surprised* Ow! Hey, where are we going?

_**Axel**_: *tries to joke* Remember that promised trip down memory lane? Well, we're about to hit the main attraction!

_**Yuffie**_: Axel! Now isn't the time for jokes!

_**Axel**_: *apologizes* Okay, I'm sorry! *turns to Leon as they approach the castle* Where are the Heartless, anyway?

_**Leon**_: *his Gunblade ready for action* I don't think we really need to look for them.

_**Yuffie**_: *surprised* What are you saying?

_**Leon**_: *as the Heartless jump on them* They already found us!

_**Axel**_: Uh–oh! *summons his chakrams and throws them at a group in front of him, then looks back at Sora* Sora! Run for it!

_**Sora**_: *terrified, backing up* Wh-what are these things?

_**Leon**_: *holding off a Neoshadow* No time to explain! Just be careful! *slices it in half as he speaks*

_**Sora**_: *protesting* But I can't leave you guys here! I have to help you!

_**Yuffie**_: *leaps out of the way of an oncoming attack* Don't argue! Get out of here!

_**Sora**_: *shakes his head and speaks determinedly* No way! I'm not going anywhere!

_**Leon**_: *struggling with an Air Soldier* Sora, just-

*There is a sudden _shing_. A sudden flash of light appears, and when it fades away, all the Heartless have disappeared*

_**Leon**_: *shocked beyond belief* What…?

_**Yuffie**_: *just as startled* How did that just happen?

_**Axel**_: *in disbelief* _(There's no way…)_ Sora? *turns quickly to see Sora standing there, holding Ultima Weapon, breathing heavily*

_**Yuffie**_: *still shocked, staring at Sora* Hold on! Didn't you say that he couldn't fight?

_**Axel**_: *bewildered* I'm just as surprised as you are!

_**Leon**_: *brushing his hair out of his face* It's a lot more than I had imagined…

_**Sora**_: *still breathing hard* Leon…Yuffie…Axel…I'm sorry…I just…I didn't want…it to…happen again… *Ultima Weapon disappears in a flash of light. Sora continues to just stand there, then suddenly topples forward*

_**Axel**_: Whoa-! *catches him before he hits the ground and turns him over on his back* Sora! *shakes him* Hey!  
><em><strong>Leon<strong>_: *comes running over* Is he all right?

_**Axel**_: *looks him over, then smiles* Yeah. He's fine. Sora just used too much power when he beat those Heartless. He'll wake up pretty soon. But before that…*picks him up over his back* We've gotta go.

_**Yuffie**_: *waves* Well, I hope he feels better soon!

_**Axel**_: *holds up a hand in farewell* Yep. See you guys! *opens up a Corridor of Darkness and walks in as it disappears*

**Corridor of Darkness**

*Axel keeps walking through the corridor with Sora on his back. He suddenly pauses and thinks about what happened in front of the castle*

_**Axel**_: _(What happened back there…Sora shouldn't have been able to summon the Keyblade, much less wipe them out in one shot in the condition he was in. *looks back at Sora's sleeping face* And afterward…)_

**Flashback**

_Sora__: *breathing hard* Leon…Yuffie…Axel…I'm sorry…I just…I didn't want…it to…happen again…*Ultima Weapon disappears and Sora falls over as Axel catches him*_

**End Flashback**

_**Axel**_: *still thinking* _(Right before he collapsed…he called Leon and Yuffie by their names, even though they never introduced themselves…and he referred back to that Heartless invasion when Radiant Garden was still Hollow Bastion…Does this mean…that the Keyblade…it just might have been the 'key' that we've been looking for? …Something tells me that I'd better tell Terra about this.)_ *continues to walk down the corridor*

**Land of Departure**

*Everyone is in a state of anxiety. Aqua is leaning forward on the couch, her chin on her knees. Terra is leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and eyes closed in anticipation. Ventus is pacing restlessly*

_**Ventus**_: *as he is pacing* When are they going to come back?

_**Terra**_: *arms still crossed and eyes still closed* We can only wait.

_**Aqua**_: *lifts her head* But they've been gone longer than I like. I hope they're okay.

_**Terra**_: *opens his eyes* Axel, most likely, is in perfect shape, more or less. Sora, on the other hand, I'm not so sure about. He should be fine, but I do have my concerns.

_**Ventus**_: *makes a fist, indignant* But that's exactly why I'm worried! I want to know if anything happened to him!

*A Corridor of Darkness opens up. The trio looks up as Axel steps out with Sora on his back*

_**Aqua**_: *horrified* Sora! *runs to Axel* What happened to Sora?

_**Axel**_: *holds up a hand to stop her* I'll tell you. But I don't want to repeat myself, and Sora needs to be put in bed. Tell everyone that we're having an emergency meeting while I take Sora to his room. I have something important to discuss.

**An Hour Later**

*By now, Roxas and Naminè are already present. Riku and Kairi are just arriving*

_**Roxas**_: *greets them* Hey Riku, Kairi. How was your flight?

_**Riku**_: *scratches his head* Well, I sort of wish that the Gummi Ship was faster. Or that I could still use the Corridor of Darkness. It's much quicker.

_**Roxas**_: *points out* But it's too dangerous for people with hearts like you guys.

_**Riku**_: *crosses his arms* You guys get off lucky since you don't have hearts.

_**Roxas**_: *gives him a playful warning glance* Hey, even though we don't have hearts, we can still feel emotions, you know.

_**Riku**_: *chuckles* Oh, right.

_**Kairi**_: I wonder what the big news is. They said something about Sora.

_**Naminè**_: *shrugs* All they told us is that it's really important. I'm pretty sure they'll tell us soon.

*They look up just as Axel enters the room*

_**Axel**_: *face lights up* Great! You guys made it. *jerks his thumbs to the main room* Come on. I've got a lot of things to tell you guys. *walks away and the others follow*

_**Roxas**_: *as they're walking* Hey, Axel?

_**Axel**_: *glances back* Hmm?

_**Roxas**_: *looks around as they're walking* Where's Sora? *faces Axel* Shouldn't he be hearing this too?

_**Axel**_: *falters a step but regains his stride* He's…resting in his room right now…after what happened today.

_**Riku**_: *alert* Sora isn't hurt or anything, is he?

_**Axel**_: *reassuring him* No, he's not hurt. Just exhausted.

_**Kairi**_: *anxious* What happened to make him like that?

_**Axel**_: *grins at her* You'll hear soon enough. I don't want to tell this story any more than I need to.

_**Naminè**_: *confused* You mean you didn't tell Terra and the others yet?

_**Axel**_: *shakes his head as a confirmation* Nope. That's why they're so anxious to see you guys. They want to know what's going on just as much as you do. *looks at their nervous expressions* What's with the faces? I didn't say it was bad news.

_**Kairi**_: *relieved* Really?

_**Riku**_: *in anticipation* If that's true, then we should hurry so you can tell us what's going on!

*They run to the main room where the trio is waiting impatiently*

_**Ventus**_: *jumps up eagerly* Yes! Everyone's here!

_**Aqua**_: *anxious* Please, Axel. Tell us what happened!

_**Terra**_: *cautious* And you said it was good news…?

_**Axel**_: *nods*I sure think so.

_**Terra**_: Well since everyone's here…*sits downs and waves a hand at Axel* You'd better tell us of your revelation.

_**Axel**_: *smiles* No problem. *gets serious* Okay, so when we first got there, it was routine, as usual: I asked him what he remembered about this place, he tells me what he feels. But this time, he said that he had a bad feeling, like something bad happened there. To be honest, I felt it, too-like something was going to jump on us. So we made our way to Merlin's house and told them about Sora's amnesia. They said that they were hoping that we could help them with their Heartless situation since Yuffie and Leon couldn't handle it by themselves, but we all thought Sora was in no shape to be fighting, especially since we believed he didn't know how. You guys were really busy at the time, so all they had was us. Leon told me that Sora should come with us, just in case it triggered something. So we went to the place where the thousand Heartless attacked Sora-just outside the castle-and started fighting them. Of course, Sora was terrified at first, not knowing what a Heartless was. So we told him to run, since nothing seemed to happen, but…*pauses*

_**Ventus**_: *absorbed* What? But what?

_**Axel**_: *resumes his story* He wouldn't leave us. He wanted to help, no matter the cost. And so…he did.

_**Aqua**_: *interrupts* Hold on. How did he help you? He had nothing to fight with!

_**Axel**_: *crosses his arms* That's what I thought, too. But right when he steeled himself that he would help us no matter what, there was a sudden blast of light, and all the Heartless were gone. And Sora… *looks straight at them* He was standing there behind me, holding his Keyblade, looking like he was holding the sky up.

_**Terra**_: *stunned* He was holding his Keyblade?

_**Axel**_: *nods* That's not what surprised me the most, though. What surprised me the most…was what he said right before he passed out.

_**Roxas**_: *urges him on* What did he say?

*Axel ignores him and heads to the television with a small disc*

_**Axel**_: *explains* You see, Cid put up surveillance cameras all over Radiant Garden, including the place where the Heartless invaded a few years ago. Our battle was recorded, so I asked him to edit the footage and send us a copy. Pay attention to the ending. Keep in mind that Leon and Yuffie didn't introduce themselves to Sora. *inserts the disc into a drive, and the video starts playing*

**Video**

_Axel__: Crap! *summons his chakrams and throws them at a group in front of him, then looks back at Sora* Sora! Run for it!_

_Sora__: *backing up, sounding terrified* Wh__-__what are these things?_

_Leon__: *holding off a Neoshadow* No time to explain! Just be careful! *slices it in half as he speaks*_

_Sora__: *sounds as if he's protesting* But I can't leave you guys here! I have to help you!_

_Yuffie__: *leaps out of the way of an oncoming attack* Don't argue! Get out of here!_

_Sora__: *shakes his head * No way! I'm not going anywhere!_

_Leon__: *struggling with an Air Soldier* Sora, just__-_

_*There is a sudden __shing__. A sudden flash of light appears and engulfs the screen, and when it fades away, all the Heartless have disappeared* _

_Leon__: *just stands there as if shocked* What…?_

_Yuffie__: *in a surprised voice* How did that just happen?_

_Axel__: Sora? *turns quickly to see Sora standing there, holding Ultima Weapon, breathing heavily*_

_Yuffie__: *in a shocked tone, staring at Sora* Hold on! *looks back at Axel in shock* Didn't you say that he couldn't fight?_

_Axel__: *voice is bewildered* I'm just as surprised as you are!_

_Leon__: *brushing his hair out of his face* It's a lot more than I had expected…_

_Sora__: *still breathing hard* Leon…Yuffie…Axel…I'm sorry…I just…I didn't want…it to…happen again… *Ultima Weapon disappears in a flash of light. Sora continues to just stand there, then suddenly topples forward*_

_Axel__: Whoa__-__! *catches him before he hits the ground and turns him over on his back* Sora! *shakes him* Hey!_

**Video Ends**

*Everyone is quiet, trying to comprehend what they saw. Terra speaks up*

_**Terra**_: Replay the ending.

*Axel replays the ending part of the footage. Everyone watches it intently. The video ends*

_**Riku**_: *mouth is dry* What…*wets his lips* What did he just say?

_**Aqua**_: *silent, trying to figure it out*

_**Ventus**_: *shocked* How did he…?

_**Kairi**_: *hopeful* Does this mean…?

_**Naminè**_: *musing* You don't think, maybe…

_**Roxas**_: *flustered* Wait, you just said that Leon and Yuffie didn't tell him their names…but he just-

_**Terra**_: *smiles* I think we just found our 'key'.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I apologize if I made you think too hard about what the 'key' was if you had bothered to. I'm not always super complicated, you know! Okay, anyway, this one was a little longer than I anticipated, because I expected it to be short like last time. But it turned out that I had a whole lot more to put into the story than I thought. I think this one turned out great, and I hope you enjoyed reading it!<strong>_


	8. Unsafe

**When Sora wakes up, he has no recollection of the events after his torture, leaving him thinking that his friends had somehow saved Ventus without him. Not wanting Sora to know that Ventus had tried to kill him, they refrain from telling him the truth…for now. Sora is saved from death (so many times), got his memories back, and now there seems to be another psychopath that wants to rule the worlds. Same old, same old. …No, seriously. It really is same old, same old. Anyway…problem is, Sora isn't in any condition to fight just yet, so they will have to wait and hope that nothing comes for them…**

**Ch. 7 Unsafe**

**Land of Departure**

*Riku, Kairi, and Ventus are in Sora's room*

_**Riku**_: *concerned* He's still sleeping…how long has it been?

_**Ventus**_: *beside himself with worry* It's been three days at the least.

_**Kairi**_: *sounds tearful* Sora…

_**Ventus**_: *berating himself again* …I'm sorry…this is all my fault…

_**Riku**_: *reassures him* No, it isn't, Ven. Don't worry about it.

_**Ventus**_: *indignant* All these bad things happening to Sora was because I was jealous of him! Of course it's my fault! *looks down and shakes his head in irritation* Can't someone let me get this off my chest for once? _(I feel even worse now that Kairi knows the truth.)_

_**Kairi**_: *looks up briefly* I understand how it must feel for you, Ven. It's not Sora's fault that people are drawn to him, and it isn't yours that you became jealous of him.

_**Riku**_: *silent for a moment* …He'll be fine…I know it.

*They are all silent for a few minutes. They suddenly hear Sora groaning and quickly run to his bedside*

_**Kairi**_: *hopeful* Sora…?

_**Sora**_: *opens his eyes, sits up, and puts his hand on his head* Ugh, my head…

_**Kairi**_: *full of relief* Sora! You're okay! *hugs him*

_**Sora**_: *startled* What the- *looks down in surprise* Kairi? What are you doing here?

_**Kairi**_: *looks up, exuberant* Sora! You remember me! Oh, I can't believe it! *hugs him tighter*

_**Sora**_: *gasps under the pressure* Ouch! Too tight! *She loosens up a little. Sora looks back down at her in confusion* Anyway, what in the world are you talking about? Since when did I forget you?

_**Riku**_: *stunned speechless* S-Sora?

_**Sora**_: *looks up* Huh? *notices Riku* Oh, hey, Riku! *glances at Ventus and a smile spreads across his face* Ven! You're okay!

_**Riku**_: *still stunned* Sora…you remember us? All of us?

_**Sora**_: *grins amusedly* Okay, you're starting to weird me out. Is this some kind of joke you're playing on me?

_**Ventus**_: *so relieved he slumps against the wall* Oh, thank God…

_**Sora**_: *has a look on his face that questions their sanity* O~kay…never mind. *looks at Riku* By the way, what am I doing here? I thought we were in Twilight Town with everyone else. *looks around the room* Speaking of everyone else, where are they?

_**Riku**_: *shaken out of his daze* Uh, it's a _really_ long story… *sideways glance at Ventus* I'd better go and get the others. *leaves the room*

_**Kairi**_: *finally lets go of Sora* Sora, you have no idea how worried we were! Not knowing whether you'd…*chokes up, then resumes speaking*…I'm just so glad you're all right.

_**Sora**_: *confused about what she says, but decides that it doesn't matter* Thanks …I guess.

_**Ventus**_: *nervous tone* Um, Sora…

_**Sora**_: *glances back at Ventus* Oh, yeah. I'm guessing that everybody managed to find you without me before something bad happened to you. *confused at Ventus's demeanor* …What's with the face?

_**Ventus**_: *looks up hesitantly* You're not… *looks downs again guiltily* …mad at me, are you?

_**Sora**_: *surprised at his question* Of course not! What makes you think that? I mean, everyone gets jealous from time to time. It's understandable.

_**Ventus**_: *a bit reassured* Uh, yeah…I'm sorry about that. *straightens up* By the way, I have another question for you.

_**Sora**_: *expectant* Sure. Fire away.

_**Ventus**_: *takes a deep breath and crosses his arms* Okay…how much do you remember since you passed out?

_**Sora**_: *amused* Why start with that?

_**Ventus**_: *unfolds his arms and grins* I just want to make sure of something. It would save everyone a lot of stress.

_**Sora**_: *shrugs* Okay, if that's what you need. *rests his chin in his hand* Let me see…Aqua and Terra came to visit us in order to tell us that you, uh, left. So we went to get Roxas and Axel so that we could all go searching for you. *thinks a little bit more* We were in Twilight Town and were about to take off…then…*struggles to remember* I'm not exactly sure…I…think I heard a voice in my head, then I felt a sharp pain, and…*silent for a minute* …And the rest is a big blank. And now I'm here, and I don't know what happened.

_**Ventus**_: *thinking to himself* _(That means he doesn't remember anything about how the shadow possessed me and I told it to torture him… I'm not sure…if that's good or bad.)_

_**Sora**_: *still musing* I'm guessing that sharp pain was why I passed out. Though I can't exactly explain away the voice in my head.

_**Ventus**_: *hands shaking but Sora doesn't notice* Um, Sora, there's- *jumps as Terra bursts into the room with everyone else*

_**Terra**_: *charges up to the bed, breathless* Sora! Is it true? You remember everything?

_**Sora**_: *totally confused now* What the heck are you guys talking about? I mean, Riku and Ven asked me the same thing, and I seriously thought that it was a joke. *looks around at everyone's stunned expressions* Um…it _is_ a joke, right?

_**Roxas**_: *blurts without thinking* The thing is, Sora, the truth is that- *Terra stops him*

_**Terra**_: *turns to Sora solemnly* I'd like to tell you. But I need to speak with you alone. *looks pointedly at everyone*

_**Aqua**_: *quickly taking the hint* All right. Come on, you guys; let's leave them at it. *herds them out of the room as she speaks, and shuts the door behind her*

_**Ventus**_: *arguing* What's the big idea? What's he-

_**Aqua**_: *holds up a hand and Ventus stops short. She looks firmly at him* Listen, we can't let Sora know that you tried to kill him, Ven! We never know what might happen! After he got tortured, comatose and amnesiac, we have no idea where his health is standing right now. Even the slightest disturbance to his mind right now can prove fatal if we're not careful! I know he _seems_ perfectly fine, but let's not take any chances. Until Sora returns to full health- *looks pointedly at everyone standing in front of her* - _no one_ is going to tell him the truth. You understand me? *Everyone nods* Okay. *turns to the closed door to Sora's room* I hope Terra managed to cook up a good story. *The door suddenly opens and everyone jumps. Terra walks out along with Sora behind him. Sora has a surprised expression on his face*

_**Aqua**_: *instantly concerned* Hey, what's wrong?

_**Sora**_: *still shocked* I don't believe it…*looks up at everyone* Is it true?There's really another bad guy running around?

_**Roxas**_: *starts* Huh? A new bad guy…? *realizes that this is Terra's "story" to Sora, then pretends to turn to Terra in astonishment* Are you for real?

_**Terra**_: *nods an affirmative* Afraid so. That was the same one who spoke in Sora's head and made him pass out. I did some research on it.

_**Sora**_: *groans in annoyance and face palms* Just when I thought I took care of everything…*crosses his arms in irritation* And he made me miss all the action! Everyone found Ven without me while I was stuck on that bed because of some stupid voice!

_**Roxas**_: *swear drops* _(Nice cover-up story, by the looks of it.)_ Uh, Sora, that's not the real problem here.

_**Aqua**_: *genuinely worried* Are you sure about this, Terra? I mean, even if it's true…what is the reason that this person went after only Sora and not the rest of us?

_**Terra**_: *ponders this for a moment, then shakes his head* I'm not sure. But right now, Sora is in serious danger.

_**Axel**_: *crosses his arms* So you have any idea who it is?

_**Terra**_: *shakes his head* I'm still working on that. I'll let you guys know once I find out. *turns to face Sora* Right now, you aren't in any condition to fight. Whatever the owner of that voice did, it did a number on you. So you have to stay put until we're sure there's nothing to worry about.

_**Sora**_: *pouts again* Fine. I have to miss all the action. _Again_.

_**Aqua**_: *puts a hand on Sora's shoulder in reassurance* Cheer up, Sora. I'm pretty sure you're going to heal up before all this is over, so you won't have to sit out everything.

_**Sora**_: *cheers up instantly* You serious?

_**Aqua**_: *laughs* But only if you're good and do everything the medics tell you!

_**Sora**_: *enthusiasm unfazed* Don't worry! I'll be good! I'm going to go and help you guys as soon as they tell me that I'm better!

_**Aqua**_: *smiles* Thanks, Sora. Now, if you want to start helping us soon, you should rest more. Starting now.

_**Sora**_: *mock salutes* Got it! *runs back into his room* I'll see you guys when I'm better! *shuts the door behind him*

_**Aqua**_: *turns to Terra* You must have told him quite a story.

_**Terra**_: *faint smile* Well, yes; I did at that. But most of what I said isn't a story. It's all true.

_**Roxas**_: *completely stunned* So there really _is_ a new bad guy?

_**Terra**_: *nods* Afraid so. Unfortunately, all that I just said is all that I know of this enemy.

_**Axel**_: *shakes his head in irritation* Then what are we supposed to do now if we know nothing about this…this enemy?

_**Terra**_: *crosses his arms* Well, there is one thing that I do know. The shadow that possessed Ventus and attacked Sora is far from gone. And its target is us.

_**Roxas**_: *panicked* H-hold on a minute! How are you so sure? It only attacked us once!

_**Terra**_: *gets straight to the point* Why do you think it possessed Ventus of all people? There is a whole bunch of people who has negative emotions coursing through them, some even worse now than Ven ever was. I don't think the shadow told us everything, and most of that probably isn't true either, given its nature. So the safest bet is that this shadow is after us. What we need to do is find out why, and stop it.

_**Riku**_: *shifts his weight* Well, how are we supposed to do that? We have no idea when or where it might pop up again.

_**Terra**_: *turns to Riku and nods in confirmation* That's true, which is exactly why I prevented Sora from tagging along. There is no telling what it'll do to Sora. So it's safest for him to stay low until the time is right.

_**Aqua**_: *looks at Terra* You've thought this through, haven't you?

_**Terra**_: *grins faintly* It's only natural to be worried about your friend, isn't it?

_**Roxas**_: *smiles and claps him on the back* True enough. Thanks for all your effort. *looks up at him* So…what do we do first?

*Everyone else looks at him expectantly*

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sorry it took so long to write this! I meant to finish earlier, but I kept getting distracted by other things or I simply just forgot about it. But that aside; this is probably the shortest chapter I've ever written (Ironic since I took forever to finish writing this…). I just wanted to finish this, and just clear some things up for the next one so I'm not cramming everything into one chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading it!<strong>_


	9. Pain of Truths

_**I decided to switch over to normal format once I got halfway through. I'm sorry if it's kind of jarring, but I wrote this a while ago, and it was taking too long to convert the previous chapters. Enjoy as much as you can. ^^;**_

**So…Sora is stuck in bed while the rest of the gang is trying to figure out what to do about the shadow. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure where to go with that yet, but I hope this chapter will give me some ideas. In the meantime, let's see what Sora is up to, shall we?**

**Ch. 8 Pain of Truths**

Lunch arrived, and let me tell you, the food – whatever it was – was _definitely_ not food. I secretly dumped my lunch into the bedside trash can and covered it with the plastic take-away carton they put it in. I stopped eating the stuff the medics fed me since I found a piece of hair in my sandwich last week. In my opinion, starving to death is better than being eaten by things posing as food from the inside and dying that way.

"Can't they give me normal food for once?" I grumbled to myself once the server left. Normally I wasn't like this, being the 'optimist' and everything, but hospital life can get you that way sometimes.

Why was I in the hospital? To tell you the truth, I wasn't completely sure. According to what Terra told me, I had passed out while we were in Twilight Town, right when we were about to take off to find Ven after he ran away from home.

So they brought me to their castle (Terra, Ven and Aqua's place – _huge_.) and left me in the care of the castle medics while they went off to bring Ven back by themselves. It seemed that I had been out for a long time, because when I woke up, Riku, Kairi, and Ven were all in my room and Kairi was crying like she thought that I'd been dead that whole time. Riku had gone all pale in the face, and Ven had looked really guilty about something.

Ven asked me some questions when Riku left to bring the others, and they still confused me now, and for some reason, thinking about it brought a sense of dread – like something really bad had happened, but I couldn't remember what.

So in retrospect, what Terra had told me made sense. But I felt that he hadn't told me everything, like he was hiding something from me. It was too complicated to think about, so I put it out of my mind until later when my brain could handle the information.

I scanned the tiny room, looking for something to do. There were books, but I had read them all already and didn't feel inclined to read them again. Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and jigsaw puzzles – all completed – were strewn around the room. I stared out the window, but there was nothing to see, not even a cloud. There was a TV, but there was nothing but Heartless attack reports and wannabe announcers on nowadays.

Basically, it added up to another whole day of doing absolutely nothing.

* * *

><p>That evening – while I was in the middle of thinking about all the things I could have done if I weren't stuck on a hospital bed – one of the medics came in with a clipboard.<p>

"Well, well," she remarked, looking me over. "You seem to be doing nicely."

"Yeah, sure," I replied. "I'm doing great, other than the fact that I'm pretty much dying of boredom."

She clicked her tongue, tapping her clipboard. "Now, now, honey. I know how you feel, but remember–"

"I know, I know. I might risk being disturbed from peace of mind. I got it. But can't you, like, give me something fun to do in here at least?"

She looked me over briskly, then backed away while writing something on her clipboard, ignoring my question. "Don't worry. You'll be out and about in about five days at the least."

My eyes bugged. Five days? What was I going to do with myself other than throw my blanket across the room the whole time?

She patted my shoulder. "I'm sure you'll find something to do. Rest well, now!" With that, she turned and walked out of the door, leaving me with an expression like I'd just seen my friends drop dead. I covered my face in sheer horror. This was a nightmare. I couldn't go five days without doing anything! I would snap under the pressure.

I couldn't take this. I threw myself on the bed and pounded the sheets while screaming into the pillow until my face turned blue, cursing my luck. (Like I said, hospitals get you that way sometimes.) After wearing myself out throwing a fit for about another ten minutes, I decided to crash for the night.

That night, I had probably the worst nightmare anyone could ever dream of (no pun intended).

* * *

><p>Now, I'm pretty sure that when I say 'dream', you'll think of me on a stained-glass platform with a disembodied voice talking to me about my fate because that's what I'm most known for, being a Keyblade Master and everything, but you've got it all wrong. I don't always have dreams like that. I'm a normal kid, any way you look at it, so I have the 'normal' dreams, too.<p>

Unfortunately, it doesn't always include my nightmares.

My dreams have been getting pretty weird ever since I first woke up in the hospital. It's been really eerie. Scary, even. Tonight was no exception. In fact, I think that night was the worst of it.

I was on one of those stained-glass platforms in my dream, which I thought was pretty strange. I also noticed that the platform had a different pattern – the image of me sleeping was still there, but the background was completely black. Not a good sign. I looked around, listening for the strange voice again. Silence.

I walked to the middle of the platform, confused the whole while. This was weird. Definitely an out-of-the-ordinary dream. Right as I thought that, though, I felt something squeeze my heart. Yeah, the actual organ that pumps blood through the body, not the metaphysical one that helps you feel. I panicked (which only exacerbated the problem), thinking that I was going to die right here in my dream and be in a vegetative state all my life, when the pain suddenly vanished. The pressure lessened around my heart, and I stood there gasping, clutching my chest.

What the heck was going on here?

"Hey! Is someone out there?" Just as the words came out of my mouth I realized it was probably a stupid question. I've always been alone in these kinds of dreams, save for a few Heartless. Why would I be asking if anyone was here now?

"What I want depends on what you have to give…_Keyblade Master_."

I jumped because the response was as unexpected as it was creepy. Or, I _would_ have jumped, but my body was suddenly frozen in place. I couldn't move an inch.

Okay, I'll have to admit that I was seriously freaked out when that happened. Having no control over your body is probably one of the scariest things you can experience. At least I knew that someone – or something – was here, because things like this don't just happen out of the blue, not even in your dreams.

"Who are you?" I shouted. Given the situation, I was surprised I could speak at all. "What are you doing to me? Let me go!"

I heard a laugh. It was full of cruelty. "Wow, you're really stubborn." It sounded like whoever was talking to me was enjoying watching me from wherever he was, enjoying my helplessness. The voice, although I knew for sure that I never heard it before, made me uneasy for some reason.

"I wouldn't be here if I weren't," I growled.

"Well, that's true. I think that you might actually be of some help to me."

I continued to struggle, trying to make my arms and legs do what I wanted, but it was no good. "Yeah, sure; if you can actually get it. You'll never make me help you!"

"The decision is not yours to make." The voice took on a harsher cast. "You _will_ help me, whether you want to or not!"

The invisible forces tying me down disappeared so suddenly I almost fell over. I quickly straightened myself and looked around wildly, searching for whomever it was that was talking to me. I was alone on the platform. The voice didn't seem to be coming from anywhere.

I realized that he was speaking within the confines of my mind. …Wait a second. How the heck does that happen in a dream? I mean, my dream _is_ the confines of my mind, right? It was hardly plausible, unless I was dreaming within my dream.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you just yet. I can't come back if you're dead."

"Oh, yeah, I'm very relieved now." I wished I would wake up already.

"Well, as your reward for being such a good listener, I will give you some good information," The voice sounded amused. I braced myself, because whatever this invisible psychopath had to say to me could easily just be a pack of lies.

"That friend of yours…Ventus, right?" An alarm bell went off in my head. Ven? What did he have to do with any of this? "Appearances can be very deceiving." He chuckled.

"What are you talking about? Ven never hurt anyone!"

"Man, you're an idiot. He is pretty much the reason for your being in the hospital, after all."

I started, not expecting that. He was the reason I was in the hospital? He didn't do anything to hurt me…or, at least I don't remember it happening recently.

This was something I could definitely rule out as a lie. Right? "He didn't do anything to me! He wasn't even around when I passed out!"

"Ah, yes. Your coma…didn't even consider how it happened, did you? That Ven was pretty jealous of you. His heart was a perfect opportunity to see how capable you were of resisting me. Quite frankly, you fared much better than I could have imagined…the fact that you are here, alive, is the very proof of that.

"Of course, I didn't count on him interfering with me. If he hadn't resisted me, you would have been long gone. But don't assume that he did it for you. He was only worried about what would happen to his standing among his friends if he let you die, so he pushed me out of his heart so he could maintain his guilt-ridden façade."

I could barely control my anger. "You liar! He would never do that! You used my friend and made him suffer unnecessary guilt just to see if I could help you gain your own ends? You sick monster!"

"Hmm, it seems you take a bit of effort to persuade." As if anything like that would persuade me. He just ran over my comments like it was a dirt road. "All right, I will leave you…for now. As a parting gift, I will give you…a memory refresher, if you will."

The voice faded out into nothingness, but the minute it did, I felt stabbing pains in my head, my chest, my whole body. I fell to the floor shaking. I felt intense heat trapped in my body. The stabbing pain suddenly stopped but was immediately replaced by hyperventilation. Along with it came a burning sensation in my chest. Heart attack. I couldn't even cry out in pain; the agony overshadowed everything else. I struggled to breathe.

I felt myself fading away, and it terrified me. But what scared me even more was that my body recognized the pain. I was petrified, unable to believe that I had experienced this same torture before. Then suddenly, amidst the pain, came a memory unbidden:

'_You seem a good prospect. Let's see how well you handle this.'_

"_Stop it! Stay away from me! I don't want to die!" I scream._

'_These memories…they seem very…precious to you. Let's see how well you do without them.'_

"_No…no! Don't…! Stop!"_

_Blackness. Everything lost. Endless abyss._

'_They are far more persistent that I imagined. Let's step it up a bit…'_

_Screaming. Gasping for breath. Pain in the chest._

"_Ven, come back!"_

_Ven? Who is that? That's not my name, it's…_

_That voice again. Who is it? "Even if you kill him, you won't get what you want! …Please understand!"_

_Silence. Then a different voice. Strangely familiar. Am I supposed to know who it is? "I've had enough with you! You don't own me! Get out!"_

_Pain flares up again, sharp, piercing._

_ 'Don't you ever forget! I will not disappear! I will come back!'_

_Everything blank._

* * *

><p>"'Won't harm me', my foot," I muttered.<p>

The sunlight was streaming in from the side window, and I wished I could get up and close the curtains. A few more minutes and I'd be roasted on my bed.

But I can't move. The voice in my dream did more than give me a memory-refresher; it gave me actual torture physically as well as metaphysically. My chest hurts and I'm sweating like crazy. My arms and legs feel like they've been dipped in magma, and I'm running a fever of (last time I checked) 108 degrees.

I again recalled the scene of the whole story:

When I woke up, it felt like I'd just held the whole world on my shoulders. I had blearily looked at my surroundings. The walls were not in what I would call a normal position.

Just then, one of the medics came in. His eyes brightened. "Oh, Sora! Surprising that you're up so early. We expected you to be out for another day or so."

"Wh…what happened last night?" I asked. I tried to recall what had happened, but I couldn't remember anything.

"Last night? You were sound asleep. You're probably wondering about when you were brought here, and that was about five days ago. Someone heard you screaming in your room, and we brought you here when we realized that you were under extreme psychological stress. Whatever happened to you, we're not exactly sure, but we decided to keep you here until we worked things out."

"What? Five days? I've been out that long? Oh, man…" I'd groaned, palming my face. Then a horrible realization dawned on me. I turned to face the medic shakily. "I…I slept through my whole recuperation period, didn't I?"

He'd smiled at me apologetically. "Not quite. It's been extended 3 more days. I'm sorry, but I really don't think we should risk it, with all the mind torture you've been experiencing."

I'd just stared up at the ceiling, feeling numb all of a sudden. It took me a moment to grasp what he had said. "I…I have to stay even longer? Is that what you're saying?" He nodded solemnly.

He couldn't have been serious. I sat up so abruptly he almost dropped his clipboard. "Are you serious? I can't stay here any longer! I'm gonna go crazy before I can be of any help to my friends!"

He straightened. "Afraid so. I know how much you want to go help Terra and the others with the investigation, but…just hold out a little while longer, all right?" He patted my shoulder, took a few notes on his clipboard, and left the room, leaving me with a still-stunned expression.

* * *

><p>"Hello? Earth to Sora!"<p>

"Huh…?" I opened my eyes groggily. "What-" I saw something enter my field of vision. "Aaahh!" I nearly fell off my bed. It was because I had noticed that a pair of blue eyes was approximately an inch from my face. _Not_ what you want for a wake-up call.

"You with me now?" I heard some laughing. I looked up to see Ventus with an amused grin on his face. I guess those blue eyes had been his.

"Don't scare me like that. You almost gave me a heart attack!" I sat up and stretched, yawning.

"Sorry about that."

"Nah, forget it. What are you doing here anyway? Weren't you out with the others?"

"Oh, that," He waved a hand. "I decided to take a little break and see how you were doing." He looked at me sympathetically. "It really stinks that you're stuck here for another day."

"I know." I frowned. "It's almost like they don't want me to leave. It's all kind of annoying, really. Just because of this nightmare I had, though I don't really remember it…"

I trailed off. Just mentioning the dream made me uneasy. I don't really know why, though. It's kind of like having the bad feeling that a teacher is mad at you, even though you're sure you did nothing wrong.

"Well, whatever they told you, they must have had a good reason for doing it. At least nothing happened since then, right? You'll be able to help us out tomorrow."

I think he must've noticed my change in attitude, and I appreciated the fact that he was trying to cheer me up. "Yeah…I guess you're right."

He grinned.

I'd been trying to avoid this question, because I didn't really want to pressure my friends, but I had to know. "Hey, did you come up with anything new about this bad guy?"

"I wish." He palmed his face and groaned. "Looking for this wandering shadow with no one attached to them is like looking for, well, a wandering shadow with no one attached to them."

"Sorry, man. I hope you find something soon."

"Thanks," he answered. Then he gave me a thumbs-up. "Hope to see you on the scene tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Later in the evening, after he'd gone, I was walking around the room, summoning and de-summoning my Keyblade to let off my feelings. Being stuck in the hospital for so long will bore just about anyone.<p>

I made my Keyblade disappear in a flash of light for about the hundredth time, then sighed deeply. It felt like the next day wouldn't come fast enough. I had to get out there and do _something_. I grew restless cooped up in this room with nothing but the marble walls, which made for cold company. Some Keyblade Master of the Realm of Light I was.

I groaned irritably and flopped onto the hospital bed that had been my home for the past month. I started to feel a little better, though. Tomorrow I'll finally be out of this hole. Tomorrow I can finally feel and be more useful. Tomorrow…I'll finally be able to get to the bottom of my whole situation.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I took soooo long on this one…stupid writers' block… Anyway, I really appreciate your patience in waiting for this chapter, because I had (and still have) no idea where to go with the whole 'new villain' thing yet. But I will hopefully come up with something soon. In the meantime, thanks a whole lot for reading this far into my stories like you have!<strong>_


	10. Deja Vu

**_Finally! Sora's back! Yay! Haha anyway, getting back to the story…_**

**The last time we saw our gang, they were looking for the shadow that's been causing our friends so much trouble. They aren't having much luck to begin with, and things seem pretty hopeless. They decide to try and search in pairs in order to cover more ground in the world that they are searching. But something happens that helps the gang get a little closer to the villain with a gain – and a cost.**

**Ch. 9 Deja Vu**

Several days after I was finally up and running, we decided to launch a full–scale search mission. Each of us was assigned to several worlds to investigate, and we were to report back to the Land of Departure the minute our search was over – no side trips. Since all of us were searching such a huge scope of worlds, we were bound to find at least a few leads.

Nope.

* * *

><p>"So what you guys are saying," Roxas began slowly, teeth clenched in frustration, "is that none of you guys found anything?"<p>

I cringed at his tone of voice. Well, I cringed, and everyone else just kind of shifted in position. Hey – it's depressing that we looked in so many places and we weren't able to find anything. It's also sort of a morale beatdown if you're being yelled at by your other self. That pretty much guarantees that you're lame.

For all you newcomers, I guess I'll have to fill you in on how Roxas is my 'other' self.

Roxas and I go…not-so-way back, actually – back when I stopped the fake Ansem from opening the door to Kingdom Hearts. I don't even really know what had happened myself. All I know is that I stabbed myself with the Keyblade of People's Hearts in order to free Kairi's heart from mine (long story) and got turned into a Heartless.

What I didn't know was that right when I turned into a Heartless, Roxas was born in front of the Old Mansion in Twilight Town. He was my Nobody, my body and soul – in other words, he was me with no heart. Or, he was supposed to be, but Ventus sort of got in the way of how it normally worked. (Sheesh. This kid causes problems even when he's stupefied!) Though he is technically 'me', he managed to form his own identity, which is quite a feat, considering the fact that Nobodies don't really have a 'them' in the first place. Ventus' heart got stuck in Roxas (another long story) and he was able to feel, as in actual emotions, something Nobodies aren't supposed to be capable of. That's also the reason why the two are identical (Seriously – you can only tell them apart from the clothes that they wear.). I think I'm going to have to stop there – because if I told you everything now your head would spin faster than the Earth does. (Yeah. I went to school. Is it so weird?)

Anyway…

All of us were pretty upset. Roxas probably took it the hardest. Not that he didn't have a good reason to – he searched the least number of worlds (Two, Wonderland and Neverland) while everyone else had three (Terra had Castle of Dreams, Land of Dragons, and the Keyblade Graveyard; Ventus searched Disney Town, Pride Lands, and Dwarf Woodlands; Aqua went to Atlantica, Enchanted Dominion, and Radiant Garden; Axel investigated Olympus Coliseum [including the Underworld, so technically three], and Deep Space; I checked out Agrabah, Space Paranoids, Timeless River, Twilight Town, and Beast's Castle [I insisted on more work to make up for lost time.]; and Riku explored Halloween Town, Traverse Town, and Port Royal.) and every last one of us had come up empty.

Roxas was still ranting. You could tell that he was really serious about this.

"…can't tell if it's going around looking for help, I seriously don't mean to rush anyone, but we've got to find him before someone else gets attacked –"

I could see where this was heading. He was afraid of being attacked himself – but not out of self-preservation. After the previous incident that landed me in the hospital for over a month (adding up all the days), we've all been extremely wary. It's been so long since we'd last seen it and that just jacked up the tension.

Not only that, but since Roxas is my 'other me', if he gets attacked, I'll also take the fall for it since were metaphysically linked – or so Terra assumes. Honestly, I've never seen proof of that, and I didn't think that the shadow attacking Roxas would be the best method of experimentation.

Axel interrupted him with a raised hand. He looked at Roxas straight in the eye and said, "We can all see where you're going with this, but just complaining about not finding it won't get us any closer. Calm down and we'll find another plan, okay?"

Roxas looked down. "I'm sorry, Axel…it's just that I'm–"

"We know," Terra replied. He put his hand on his shoulder. "but worrying about it won't get us anywhere. We should focus on what we should do next."

Riku started off by saying, "Are there any worlds that we could have missed?"

"I'm not sure." Aqua sounded worried. She was _always_ worried. "We could take another look…"

"Well, we decided that Destiny Islands wasn't really a spot worth investigating, but…I mean," he added hastily, "it wouldn't hurt to check right?"

"Normally, I'd argue with you," Ven cut in, "but Riku does have a point, though. We should check all the worlds that we looked over. Expect the unexpected, right?"

Terra stood up. "Well, in that case, what are we sitting around here for? Let's get going."

He ran out into the courtyard, and everyone else followed after him. I just sat there, completely blanched, because I had a funny feeling that I'd face something a whole lot worse than that shadow.

* * *

><p>"Do you have any idea how worried I was? I know your job is dangerous, but being in the hospital for a whole month – I was out of my mind with worry – you better have a good explanation for this, young man –"<p>

Didn't I tell you I'd face something that shadow can't even compare to?

I couldn't blame her, though. The last time I saw her was when I right before I went to fix my clothes, and I've kind of been avoiding going home lately. The one time I did return to Destiny Islands, I stayed away from my house because apprehension would grip me every time I thought about going home. I wasn't sure why though. I tried to stay away from home like last time, but my mom caught me when she was walking home after grocery-shopping – or at least that's what it looked like. Then she pulled me by my ear back to the house and started chewing me out.

"–father is out looking for you, he didn't believe me when I told him you were with your friends – you are positively a magnet for trouble, don't think I'll let you out of the house after this – "

"Mom!" I cut her off. "Look, I know you're upset, and I'm really sorry. And I would do as you say if we weren't in danger of being ambushed by a malevolent stalking shadow right now. The only reason I didn't come home after all that was because I didn't want you to get involved in this!" That was when I realized why I couldn't go home. I didn't want my mom being in the middle of whatever that was going on. She was right about one thing, though – I was a magnet for trouble.

Something about my expression seemed to calm her down. Well, more like shocked speechless. I wondered what my face looked like.

She was silent for a moment. Then she said, "Of course. I'm sorry, Sora. I didn't realize…I just wondered why you wouldn't call, at least, to let me know that you're all right…"

I blinked. Come to think of it, that _was_ true…I could have at least called her. What was wrong with me that I didn't even consider that?

I shook my head and looked at the ground guiltily. "I'm sorry, there was just so much going on…"

"It's all right." She seemed to have finally relaxed. "I understand what you've been doing. Just…call me every now and then, all right?"

"…Right. Let Dad know that I'm fine, okay?"

"I will. Be careful."

"Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay." I inched for the doorway. "I'd better go now; everyone's waiting outside."

I closed the door behind me, and I ran as fast as I could away from there.

* * *

><p>Life sucks.<p>

Well, life always sucks. But life has got to have a bright side _sometime_, right? Obviously we weren't there, and life didn't really want us on the other side right now. Not since we got singled out by that creepy shadow thing. Sometimes, life doesn't go the way you want it to.

The reason I bring that up? We were back to square one. The island didn't really have any clues to offer. Not that I was surprised. Nothing's been here since the island was swallowed by darkness, so I didn't really expect to find anything.

Everyone wanted to know what had happened between me and my mom (part of the reason no one found anything), but all I told them was that what had happened in there would stay within those walls. I didn't need any more problems with my personal life; I already have more than enough problems this past month for a lifetime.

We were back at the castle, and trying to come up with a new plan. We finally decided to split up into groups to search a single world. Then we would come back to the castle and report what we've found – if we actually found anything – and swap groups and go to investigate a different world. It seemed pretty foolproof, so we were all for it.

The groups were as follows: Terra and Aqua would go to Enchanted Dominion, Axel and Riku were to search Halloween Town, and Ven, Roxas and I would search Twilight Town. We were to leave as soon as we were ready.

Terra gave us the final rundown before we took off. "…if you find anything, then report back to the castle as soon as possible. We don't want to risk having another friend in danger. Just come back and tell us what you found out. Is that clear?"

"Got it," we all answered.

"All right, then; let's get to work!"

* * *

><p>When we arrived at the town, it was strangely quiet. Well, it wasn't surprising, since this was a really peaceful place to begin with. But there was a different atmosphere going around. I could almost feel the tension wafting around in the air.<p>

Roxas didn't look too happy. "There's something going on. Just what we needed when we're in the middle of our own mess."

I looked at him, surprised. It wasn't like him to be bitter. Well, actually, it's no surprise. But then I surmised it was probably the stress of being on an evil shadow's 'Wanted' list as well as having found trouble in his town.

Ven noticed it too; I could tell because he had this expression on his face that portrayed serious concern. "Guys, maybe this isn't just a town thing."

"What?" I turned to look at him. "How?"

He didn't answer my question. "Let's ask around. Maybe we'll find out what's going on." There was a hint of apprehension that I couldn't place. In the end there was nothing else to do, so we agreed. We were to meet in front of the station after our interrogations.

My wanderings took me to a depressed-looking shop owner. Not surprising, really.

I went up to him. "Excuse me, sir? Can I ask you a few questions?"

"What is it?" He sounded really bored, almost tired.

Just great. I'm questioning a guy who looks like he'll pass out any second. "Is there something going on in this town?"

"Umm…" he thought hard. "The Ninth Wonder of Twilight Town, they call it. People've been saying that there is something going around town. People who saw it said it was as black as midnight, and it gave them a chill. I don't know, though. Might just be a kid fooling around."

"Oh, really?" I tried hard to sound casual. "Has it really been doing anything around town?"

"Well, a couple o' kids have fallen asleep and won't wake up, and a few others disappeared in the middle of the night. The whole town's hairs are standing up, see, because of the things that've been going on. People are so scared that they won't leave their houses. Nothing's happened to the adults yet, just the kids.

"O' course, there's no guaranteeing that it's never gonna go after one, so nobody comes outside anymore. Business has been really slow since then."

"Is that right…" I was seriously panicked now. If this was the shadow going around doing the same thing it forced Ventus to do to me, I shuddered to think what it'll do to me the next time we see it. I tried to get back into the conversation by asking hastily, "Um, how long has this been going on?"

"Hmm…jus' started two days ago, as a matter of fact."

"Oh, I see." I was itching to go meet the guys back at the station. I had a whole lot of things to tell them. "I'll be going now, thanks." I left as quickly as I could without running. When the shop was well out of sight, I started to run as fast as my legs would carry me the whole way to the station. Ven was already there, looking anxious.

"Ven!" I skidded to a stop. "Did you find out about anything? What's been going on?"

"Something bad. Kids our age are disappearing and falling into comas…There's definitely something going on here."

"I heard the same thing," I said anxiously, "do you think that maybe –"

_Help! Someone! Anyone! …Please!_

I started. What was that? The voice…something about it bothered me. "Who's there?" I looked around to see if anyone else was in the station with us. We were alone. That was weird.

"Sora?" Ven gave me a quizzical look. "You okay?"

"Didn't you hear that?" I strained my ears, just in case I heard the voice again.

"Hear what?"

"That voice. It was calling for help!"

"There's no one else here, Sora. It's just us." He gave me a concerned look. "Are you feeling okay?"

I shook my head. "Y-yeah." Then I frowned and mused, "Then what…"

_Is someone there? Can anyone hear me?_

Now I realized why it was familiar. That voice was Roxas. And yet…how could it be? This has never happened before.

I concentrated. The voice seemed to sound through my head, so I decided I should do the same thing. _Roxas?_ I thought, feeling a little foolish. _It's Sora. Am I getting through?_

_Sora!_ I could feel his relief. I guess it came with being able to speak telepathically. _Is it really you? I can't believe it! I thought I was done for!_

_What's going on?_ I asked him. _Where are you?_

_I don't know. I was just asking a few questions around, like we planned. There was one person I talked to, and he gave me an answer and then – well, that's the last thing I remember._

_So you have no idea where you are now?_ I verified. _Did that person say anything important?_

_See, that's the thing. I remembered him saying, 'He is much closer than you think.' Then I sort of blacked out,_ he replied.

_Don't you find that a little strange?_ I asked him.

_Find what strange?_

_The fact that he seemed to know what we were looking for._

Shock that wasn't my own coursed through me. _You're right! I didn't tell him what we were looking for. He must have something to do with that shadow._

_That definitely sounds dodgy to me, _I agreed._ But anyway, how are you doing this? You're talking in my head._

_I have no idea. _He sounded confused himself._ We've never been able to do this before…wait, what about Ven? Is he there?_

No sooner than he mentioned that did I notice Ven giving me a look that questioned my mental capacity. I had been so caught up in the conversation with Roxas that I had forgotten that Ven was there.

_Yeah, he's here. But apparently he can't hear you, Roxas. He's looking at me like I'm crazy._

_Then maybe you should tell him what's going on._

_Will I be able to get back to you?_

_I'm pretty sure. Just go on and bring him up to speed. I'll explain to you and you can relay to him later._

_Got it. _I looked up at Ven, who was still giving me a strange look.

"Sorry about that," I apologized. "It's kind of hard to explain…"

"Yeah, I can imagine," he answered, raising his eyebrow. "What's with you today? You've been acting really weird."

"Well, you'll find it hard to believe, but…" I went on to explain what I had been up to. The look on his face could only be extreme surprise and shock.

"That's really amazing! Why weren't you guys able to do it before?"

"I wish I knew," I replied. "Roxas isn't really sure, either."

"So wait, what's going on with Roxas? Where is he?" he asked.

"Neither of us are sure," I answered him. "He's just as confused as I am…"

_Sora?_

"Hold up a minute, Ven; Roxas is saying something," I closed my eyes to concentrate. _What's up?_

_There's something else that you should know._

_Yeah? Put it on the table._

_The thing is, about this person that I told you about… _He was hesitant. _He looked really familiar…I couldn't quite place it, though._

A knot tied in my stomach. This wasn't good. _So you think we've seen him before?_

_There's really no other explanation for it, _he said. _I'm just really worried about Ven, after seeing that guy…_

_You don't think that the shadow has a body now, do you?_

_He might not, _he agreed. _But like I said earlier, what if he found some helpers?_

That was a real pleasant thought.

_I don't think you should tell Ven about this just yet, Sora. We've just had too much to stress over._

_Then what do I say to him? He's gonna expect an answer._

_Just tell him that the person that I met is connected to the shadow._

_Right. _I looked back at Ven, who was giving me an inquiring look. "Well?" he asked impatiently. "What did he tell you?"

"He said that the guy he talked to might actually know something about what we're looking for."

"You serious?" I'd never seen him so excited in the time I knew him. "How does he know?"

"To be honest, I'm not totally sure. Want me to ask him?"

He nodded vigorously.

I sighed. I wished that Roxas and I weren't the only ones able to communicate telepathically. I closed my eyes again. _Roxas, I'm in a bit of a situation here._

_What is it?_

_Ven wants to know how you know the guy you talked to has something to do with the shadow._

I could feel his annoyance. _Just great, now what am I supposed to tell him?_

_ I don't know; make something up that sounds right._

_Then, can you just tell him that I just had a hunch? I can't think of anything else._

_Whatever you say. _I opened my eyes again and turned to Ven. He looked about ready to explode.

"What did he say, Sora?" he asked. He was practically jumping up and down. Honestly, sometimes I just don't know about that kid.

"He said that he just had a feeling, that's all."

"Well, the faster we find him, the faster we'll get our answers. Just where is he?"

That reminded me that I should probably ask what had happened. Something like this doesn't magically happen overnight.

_Hey, Roxas?_

_Yeah?_

_I still haven't gotten a chance to ask you – where are you, exactly?_

_I'm not sure, _he replied. _For all we know, I'm not in Twilight Town anymore._

_Just perfect. Don't tell me you got kidnapped._

_It's beginning to sound like a real possibility. Terra's not going to be happy._

_No doubt about that, _I agreed. _Where were you last? Maybe we'll find something._

I could almost feel him musing. _Let me see… _A bunch of random images of the town flashed through my head so fast I didn't really know what I was looking at. The images just kept on blinking in and out until it suddenly froze. It had stopped at a dark alley–

_Wait, that's under the tracks! Where you normally hang out with Hayner and everyone else, right?_

_Yeah, that's the place. I came here looking for them actually, so I could ask them a few questions, but I ran into…into that other guy instead._

_Wait a second…_ I thought._ Can you keep that image there for a sec? I think I saw something…_

_Sure, _he said, sounding surprised. I concentrated on the image. There was a figure leaning against a lamp post…he almost…he almost looked like…

_Hey, Sora? You okay? _I guess the growing horror that battered against my chest could be felt through the connection.

_He…he…looks exactly like me…_

_Sora? _He sounded really worried now, enough that it– along with my panic – almost incapacitated me. _What's going on? Do you recognize him?_

_No, _I thought back feverishly. I thought I was going to be sick. _I don't know who he is, it's just that…that looks like me…I'm not sure…_

_Maybe this will help. _There was a whirl of color, and then complete blackness. When I came to, I wasn't in the station anymore. I was in that dark alley that Roxas had shown me. I was walking toward the place where Hayner and the rest of them would be. That's when I realized that I couldn't move of my own free will. With a shock, I saw that – somehow – Roxas was showing me his memory of his time at the alley. This was both amazing and scary at the same time.

Roxas continued to walk down the alley, when I saw the same person that I spotted in the image. Roxas walked right up to him.

"Hey, excuse me? Do you know anything about what's been going on around town?" he asked him.

"I might." There was something about his tone that I didn't like.

"Really? Can you tell me anything?"

"Let's just say that his victims usually disappear. The ones he deems worthless…he leaves them to die."

I didn't like the sound of that. The malice in this guy's voice was too pungent for a human being. Who…or what…was he? Why did he look like me? It was frightening to hear those words seemingly come out of my own mouth.

"Do you know where he is now?" Roxas threw another question at him. I tensed; it was getting close.

"You seem awfully curious about this," he replied, grinning. It wasn't a friendly one either – he looked like he was anticipating something really bad, or in his case, exciting.

"The thing is," Roxas said, looking flustered, "I live here, and, well, I just wondered…"

He trailed off. I could tell that he sensed something bad was going to happen.

"I see," he mused. "Well, then. I'll just let you know…he's a lot closer than you think…_Roxas_." He suddenly jumped at him. I felt a sharp pain in my head, and the world started to spin until –

My eyes flew open and I sat up abruptly, sweating and shaking.

"Sora! You're okay!"

I looked up numbly. I was back at the station. Ven was sitting right next to me. I realized that I must've passed out when Roxas showed me the memory. I tried to ask Roxas about what he'd just shown me, but he seemed to have gone.

"What…what happened?" I managed to ask.

"It looked like you were talking with Roxas," he began excitedly, "but then all of a sudden you just sort of groaned and fell backward. You were out for about five minutes." Then he frowned. "Why did that happen all of a sudden?"

"Well, Roxas decided to show me the time he was at the place he was interrogating, and…" I blinked. I shouldn't tell him anything yet. "We should go over there right away. To see if we can find any clues. It seems like Roxas…he…"

"What?" he encouraged.

I took a deep breath, then said calmly, " It seems…that I can't talk to him anymore."

Ven went all pale. "Oh, no…this is _not_ good…" He stretched out a hand to pull me up to my feet. "Well, we can't just stay here! Let's get to the alley, quick!"

He helped me up, and together we ran to the alley as quickly as we could, ignoring the complaints of the townspeople as we went. We didn't stop until we reached the dark alley.

I blanched. The whole alley was in a wreck. It seemed like Roxas had been putting up a terrific fight when he was attacked, though he hadn't shown me that. Or maybe he wasn't able to. Ven was just as stunned speechless as I was.

When I glanced down, I noticed a bright white, neatly folded piece of paper. It seemed out of place here in the dark alley. Curious, I picked it up and unfolded it. Ven looked over my shoulder, and we both paled at the words written on the note:

**He's in my hands now.**

**If you want your other back,**  
><strong>Here's what you should do –<strong>

**Come to the Keyblade Graveyard.**

**Alone and Unarmed.**

**Be prepared to give up your soul**

**Unless you wish to feel the wrath**  
><strong>of those not well-practiced<strong>

**In their own existence.**

This note was addressed to me.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Well, hey. I didn't think I'd ever get this far. I hope I didn't cram too much into this chapter…but I guess that's what happens when you get caught up in the moment. Anyway, I actually really enjoyed writing this chapter; I feel like I'm actually setting things in motion. I hope you enjoyed reading it!<strong>_


	11. What Cannot Be Is

_**Just saying hi :D**_

**Roxas is kidnapped for ransom – and that ransom happens to be none other than Sora. In other words, we're on the verge of losing Sora…again. (How the heck do I even make it so that he's always getting victimized? I mean, I know I'm a fangirl and everything, but this is just cruel.) This is only happening because no one knows who the captor is and what he's going to do to any of them if they don't do as he says. Our gang is faced with a tough choice – keep one or lose both. And they now feel the horrible shock of who their foe's identity truly is. The horror of truth is now upon them…**

**Ch. 10 What Cannot Be Is**

**Sora**

"Sora, don't do it! It's too dangerous!"

"What you're about to do is crazy! Have you thought this through?"

"It's not worth it!"

"You can't go through with this!"

"Don't you realize what's going to happen to you?"

I knew.

I knew it was dangerous. Crazy. Risky. Crazy dangerous. Dangerously crazy. All other danger-prone words and phrases that I couldn't think of right now in my sullen state.

I knew, and that's why I needed to do it. Besides, did we have any alternative? We had to get Roxas back. And the only way to do that was to give myself up. There was no telling what would happen if we didn't do as the note said, and I for one didn't want to risk it. My friends didn't seem to share my notion, and they were trying to talk me out of it, but nothing they were going to say was going to change my mind.

Their protests got to a point where I couldn't handle it anymore. Fed up with pent-up irritation, I screamed, "_STOP!_"

They fell silent. I clenched my hands into fists, and I glared at them.

"_Look_. I have to do this. Look at all that has been going on already! Just that is from this shadow trying to revive himself! Think about what might happen if he actually manages to come back to whatever he'd been before! It's going to be absolute chaos for everyone! If we don't do as the ransom notes says, you don't even have to guess what the scale of ruin will be! I'm doing this for the good of everyone, not just Roxas, and you guys know just as well as I do that we need to help him either way! Self-preservation is the last thing on my mind right now! I know that you guys are worried about me, but after everything that had actually happened, you guys let yourselves forget who I am. All the crazy stuff going on made you lose your faith and trust in me and my abilities!

"Just try to remember why the Keyblade chose me! It tasked me with fighting. I have to go and face him. _Alone_. It's the only way."

No one would say a word. I could tell that my words had a definite effect on them, but they didn't want to accept what I had just said even though it was true.

Then Riku finally spoke. "Look, Sora –"

"You know, you're making this a lot harder than it needs to be," I interrupted. "I'm doing this for my friends, and everyone else. It's not like you guys are new to this or anything. Tell me you haven't done this for somebody at least once!"

Yep, definite reaction there.

"See? And here you guys are. You guys are living proof that everything's going to be okay. So do me a huge favor here and stop worrying about me! It's not like I haven't done this before, but I really don't need all this stress right now."

Still no one said a word. Terra finally gave a weak chuckle. "Remind me not to argue with you again."

Axel grinned and remarked, "Why we actually tried to stop Sora is a mystery to me."

"Well, it seems that we forgot how straightforward he is," said Riku, nodding in agreement.

Aqua smiled faintly. "It's just impossible to change your mind, isn't it?"

Ven winked and gave me a thumbs–up. "We'll be with you all the way, Sora!"

I smiled gratefully. "Thanks guys," I said. "Don't worry. I'll go and get Roxas back!"

* * *

><p>I could prove to you right now that the saying 'It's easier said than done' is one-hundred percent true. I had no idea what I was going to do. I had no idea what was going to happen. I had no idea what would become of me or Roxas. I – well, you get the idea.<p>

Shooting Gummi enemies on the way didn't exactly help, either. They were just the prelude to the horror that was coming up. There were so many and they attacked so viciously that I almost lost the ship. The strange thing was, I didn't even recognize the enemies – they sure didn't look like any Heartless or Nobody I've ever seen. Stranger still was the fact that there were enemies at all – because I had managed to get rid of all of them well enough that they wouldn't come back. So obviously that wasn't a good sign for what was to come.

I finally landed – and the Gummi ship didn't look like it would survive another flight. It looked ready to be hauled into the scrapyard.

Even before I got out of the ship I could feel the '_I'm–about–to–be–vaporized_' vibe. It almost made me want to turn around and head back. But then I thought of Roxas here somewhere waiting at least to not be wiped from existence while he waited for someone to rescue him, and I felt better about the whole thing. He probably doesn't even know about the ransom note that his kidnapper left me.

There were so many monsters here that I took what seemed like hours to get through the first canyon. I really hoped that I would be able to get this over with sometime today. I didn't need any more stress that I already had right now.

Right when I got to what appeared to be the final underpass I had to go through to escape the claustrophobia, something happened just to ruin my day more than it was already.

A giant monster showed up right at the mouth of the canyon. Now, when I say giant, I mean bigger-than-the-Groundshaker giant. Great. Just what I needed right now. A giant monster that was going to kill me before I could do what I came here for.

I summoned Ultima Weapon and charged at the monster so I could get this over with and get to Roxas before the day ended. I ran and slashed at the monster's legs, but that just seemed to infuriate it. It roared and fired a laser from its glowing eyes – wait, its eyes? I managed to sidestep it and I leapt up the sides of the monster's legs and managed to stand on its head. It tried to shake me off, but I held on for all I was worth, then I managed to stab it in both of its eyes.

It was a long way down.

I breathed a sigh of irritation as I made Ultima Weapon disappear. "Finally," I muttered to myself. It was just me and the opening. I walked out of the canyon and I saw a vast expanse of wasteland covered with dead Keyblades. I shuddered. I could see how this place got its name.

"So…you actually did come. I'm amazed at how ignorant you are."

I started when I heard the voice, then I whirled around only to find myself face-to-face with –

"It's…you," I managed to choke out.

My look-alike was sitting on a boulder, a dark Keyblade in hand, smirking at me. It was him – the same person I saw in Roxas's memory. He even gave off the same negative vibe when I first saw him. No…it was a lot worse. It almost hurt.

I guess the good me and the evil me had a strength ratio – the better you are, the worse your opposite. This guy was pure evil.

"Where's Roxas?" I asked tersely.

"Oh, don't worry about him. I just finished giving him an incentive to…give me some information," he replied carelessly.

"_Where is he?_"

"I'm not _hurting_ him, if that's what you're worried about," he sneered. "Honestly, people like you are so gullible and so fun to mess with."

As he spoke, I glanced around shiftily. Then I spotted Roxas hanging about five feet in the air, held up by two of the strange monsters I've seen on the way here. He was not looking so great. I looked back at him in pure revulsion.

"What did you do to him?"

"All I did was ask him a few questions. That was the result of…ah, a few misunderstandings. I mean, really," he continued, "don't you think hostages should be a little more cooperative if they want to stay alive?"

"Okay, look. I'm here alone, no weapons, just like you asked. Now let him go."

"Hmmm…it seems you take a bit of effort to distract," he noted. He stood up. "Well then, shall we get started? You do this and you get your precious friend back."

He snapped his fingers, and a dark aura surrounded him. I stayed tense, ready for whatever he was about to do. To my surprise, a bunch of the same monsters that I fought while coming here sprang out of the aura.

I clenched a fist and it shook with rage. "What's the matter with you? I thought we had a deal!"

My rant seemed to have woken Roxas. I heard him call down, "Sora? What are you doing here?"

I looked up, and Roxas was looking at me, confused.

"Roxas!" I shouted in pure relief. "You're okay!"

"Sora, whatever reason you have for being here, you really should leave!" he said urgently. "You've got to get out of here and get the others! This guy's a whole other story!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that unless I have to take you home in pieces." I glowered back at my look–alike. "Just who are you, anyway?"

"I think…that I don't want to tell you."

"Sora!" I heard Roxas again. I looked up and he told me, "I know his name! His name is Vanitas!" I saw – from the corner of my eye – Vanitas giving Roxas an infuriated look.

"Okay, _Vanitas_," I twisted my mouth around the name. "We had a deal. You let him go, and you take me. I expect you to uphold that deal and not double-cross me."

When Vanitas heard that, all he said was, "How will I know that you won't be doing the same thing? You make the wrong move –" He pointed his Keyblade straight at Roxas. "– and your friend here is history."

I thought for a moment. Then I answered, "I should expect that you will be able to ensure that I won't be doing that, shouldn't I? If you're so capable, then prove it to me by keeping me here against my will. Do that, and let Roxas go."

He smiled in a satisfactory way, then gestured at the monsters he had previously conjured, and pointed at me. Immediately two of the winged ones swooped at me and lifted me up into the air, then they clamped their tail pincers around my arms so I had no viable way of escape. The same instant, Roxas was lowered to the ground. He looked up at me in what seemed like sheer anxiety.

"Go on; get out of here, Roxas!" I shouted down to him. "Don't worry about me!"

Roxas looked torn.

Vanitas said, "Hey, you better do what he wants. He and I have some business to settle." He brought me closer to ground level, and then glanced back at Roxas with a sneer. "We did have a deal after all." He pointed his Keyblade right at my chest.

"Hurry, Roxas," I told him. "Get back to the others. Before he does anything to you again." I smiled at him encouragingly and added, "You've been an awesome other. Now you can be you." He stared at me in horror, not wanting to accept the implications in my statement.

He took a step toward me, pale with shock. "No…Sora…please…don't do this…you can't…"

"Bye, Roxas," I told him. A beam of light glowed at the end of Vanitas's Keyblade. "Get out of here!" I shouted urgently. Hurry!"

The last thing I heard right when the beam of light hit my chest and I drifted into blackness was, "_NO!_"

* * *

><p><strong>Roxas<strong>

I turned away the minute before the beam of light touched Sora. I just couldn't watch…but something compelled me to peek. Then I wished that I hadn't all over again.

Right at the moment I had chosen to steal a glance, shock froze on his face, and the light in his eyes faded into a dark and hollow shade of his usually bright blue. A pale, misty ball of light emerged from his chest and floated toward the…I couldn't think of a bad enough name for him. Then – appearing to be using the last of his will – Sora did something totally unexpected.

_He smiled_. After all that, after he gave himself up, after his soul got ripped from his body, he could still smile! This appalled me.

Even after being with people for so long, I still had more to work on with comprehending emotions. Having Sora as a friend and my other had complicated that. He was not as he had referred to himself as a 'normal kid'. He was anything but.

But…

I thought I had been self-sacrificing, but now I felt so insignificant next to him. Especially since I realized that I would never even consider giving myself up for anyone – partly because I really didn't have a 'self' in the first place – and Sora had made the decision without blinking. Deep in my heart – if I really had one – I sincerely apologized to Sora for forcing him to make that decision. If it weren't for me, none of this would've happened.

_Hey, don't go beating yourself up over that, Roxas. It was entirely my decision._

I looked up, bewildered, and instinctively turned to Sora, but now he was on the ground – his smile was still in place, but other than that, he was an empty shell. I looked around back at the guy who had called himself Vanitas. He had a disturbingly gleeful expression on his face. The misty ball had gone.

_You're acting just as surprised as I was, Roxas. _I heard a laugh echoing in my head. _You look ridiculous._

There was no way. _Sora?_

_Who else? Know anybody else with that name? _I felt his amusement.

I couldn't believe this was happening. Sora must have realized the same thing, because I heard him say, _Hey, we're in the same boat. I'm confused, too._

_How is that possible? _I thought back fervently. _You're the one who started this, you know._

_Just because I'm the one who started this conversation doesn't mean I know what's going on, _he replied, feeling annoyed. Suddenly he felt tense. _Look out! _He warned. _Behind you!_

I turned just in time to see Vanitas heading toward me in a leisurely pace. He looked immensely satisfied. I've had enough experience with non-humans to know that this was _not_ good.

"So," he drawled, "you decided to stick around." He paused a few feet away from me. "You should really take a hike, or else your _friend_ here gave himself up for nothing." He smirked.

I couldn't speak for a moment. Then I solemnly said, "Not without Sora."

"Fine; whatever," he waved a hand and walked away from me. "I don't need that empty puppet here, anyway."

_Did he just call me an 'empty puppet? _Sora demanded inside my head. _I know I made a deal, but I want to teach this guy a thing or ten about courtesy!_

_Sora, now's really not the time! _I thought back urgently._ Besides, you know how he is!_

_Oh, yeah, I know. I just wanted to say it._

I grimaced inwardly and ignored him. He was really not helping the situation.

"He is not an empty puppet," I retorted stupidly.

He raised an eyebrow and said, "His soul got ripped from his body and he can't do anything unless someone else does it for him so –" He leaned toward me and said in a mocking tone, "– he's a _puppet_."

I felt like an idiot. Well, duh. Technically speaking, he _was_ a puppet – (_Not you, too!_ he complained) but I was just trying to say something in his defense, and that was all I had. I blushed.

I walked over to where Sora's body was laying and closed his eyes. It felt really final, doing something like that.

_Will you stop taking things for granted?_ Sora grumbled.

_Sheesh, let me have my moment, _I answered back, peeved.

I put him arm around my shoulder – he was still warm – and managed to put him on my back. For a second it almost brought me to my knees.

_Seriously, Roxas. I'm not that heavy; don't make a show of it._

_I'm not. You're a lot heavier than you think. And why are you still warm?_

_How should I know? I'm not exactly a martyr veteran in this sort of way._

_Never mind; forget it. I'll ask when someone sensible enough to explain what's going on is around._ I stood up again. Then I glared back at Vanitas before opening a Corridor of Darkness.

_Hey, wait a minute! Why didn't you do this before and save us all the trouble?_ Sora asked.

_D'you really think that someone like him would let something like that happen?_ I though back acidly. _I did try and I learned the hard way that I couldn't do it._

_Oh. Well, that makes sense._

I decided I should just stop talking to him for a little bit. He was giving me a bit of a headache. I ignored his complaints as I backed toward the corridor.

_This is probably the first time I'm kind of glad that I'm not me._ Sora commented.

_Don't rub it in, _I grumbled as I stepped into the corridor and started walking to the other end._ You were never this talkative when you were still animate._

_Yeah, I know, _he said, and his tone immediately became more somber. _I'm just…making up for lost time, you know…and just in case I won't be coming back…I'm making the most of it._

I was horrified. _Don't think like that, Sora! _I pled. _Don't make me more depressed than I already am. _He was silent. We continued through the corridor in silence for a moment, and then, _You know, you're really not yourself, _I noted. _I know that you're separated from your body and everything and that's bound to make anyone depressed, but you're really taking it to a new low with yourself._

_Nah, it's nothing, _he replied. His words took on a lighter tone. _I'm just kind of bummed that I have to hang out in your head for so long._

_Thanks so much, _I told him, my tone acerbic. But then I realized something. _So wait a minute, _I thought frantically, _does that mean that you're going to be in my head until we get your soul back?_

_I guess that's what that means. And for your information, _he added, _I'm just as __horrified__ as you are, and since there's really no point in complaining about it, let's just make the best of our situations, all right?_

I hate it when he makes so much sense. _Sometimes it really sucks that I don't get older._

_You kidding me? Sometimes I'm jealous of you staying fifteen forever._

_It's not all fun and games, you know. Besides, if you want me to get older, you're going to have to reabsorb me and create me again every year, and I can think of certain people who wouldn't like that one bit._

_I never said I wanted that._

_Are you trying to imply something?_

_Of course not, Roxas. I'm just kidding you._

_Oh, hey, we're here, _I noticed the swirling mist in front of me showing a very worried-looking group that happened to be our friends. Time sure flies by when you're talking with yourself in your head.

_Great, _Sora replied. _I'll leave it to you to explain everything._

_It's not like you could if you wanted to, anyway, _I thought begrudgingly.

I took a deep breath, and then stepped through the opening.

* * *

><p>A surprise birthday party had nothing on the greeting we – well, I, technically, because Sora was soulless and empty right now – received when I came through the opening. They welcomed me back like the prodigal, which made me feel even more depressed. I dreaded seeing their faces when they learned that Sora wasn't really here.<p>

But I spared them of their impending misery for just a few more minutes.

"Roxas, you're okay! I can't believe it!" Neither can I, Terra.

"You even brought Sora back, too!" Well, not all of him, Ven.

"You have no idea how worried we were!" I can imagine, Aqua.

"Welcome back!" Thanks, Axel.

_If only they knew_, I sighed inwardly.

_Sorry, Roxas. Really, _Sora apologized yet again.

_Hey, it wasn't your fault, _I assured him – how many times has it been? _None of this would've happened if I knew who to ask._

_Well, you know what I mean._

_Yeah, I know. But it's okay; don't sweat it._

"Roxas? What're you just standing there for?"

"Huh?" I looked up. Ven was looking at me with a mix of confusion and impatience. Everyone else had already left the room.

"Come on, Roxas!" he urged. "Put Sora to bed and tell us what's going on! You were kidnapped by who we were looking for, right? It's about time we had a lead! You've got to tell us everything that happened while you were there–" I cringed when he said that, but he didn't seem to notice. "– so we can actually get a grip on our situation! I'll be getting the others in the meantime!" He ran out of the room.

_Great_, I thought as I walked up to Sora's old hospital room. What the heck was I supposed to say?

_Just tell them everything like Ven asked you to. _Sora's tone was matter-of-fact.

_Easy for you to say. I'm not blunt like you,_ I answered.

_But come on, _he countered,_ what's the point of making things more complicated when you can avoid it?_

_You should talk._

_Hey, if I didn't do anything, you wouldn't be here now! Excuse me for saving your life._

_Yeah. Giving up your soul? _I thought back sarcastically as I laid his body on the bed. _Real smart, Sora. You could have double-crossed him and we wouldn't be in this mess!_

_Are you crazy? How was I to know what he would do to you if I didn't do as he said? I was just playing safe!_

_Safe. Right. _I stretched to relieve my aching back, then: _If you don't mind, I have some __explaining__ to do._

_Oh. Well, good luck then._

Halfway down the stairs, I suddenly paused, a thought occurring to me. Sora noticed, because the next minute he asked me, _Hey, what's wrong?_

_Like you don't know._

_I was only trying to respect your privacy, _he said, sounding peeved. _What is __wrong__ with you today?_

_Never mind, _I groaned. _What I'm trying to say is, do I have to tell them everything? As in, __everything__?_

_Well, I can't think of any safer, less painful way to go about this business, so full steam ahead._

_Even about…well, you know._

_Well, I think that's part of everything. Besides, they'd panic otherwise._

_I'm…not so sure._

_Oh, c'mon, Roxas, _his tone was almost chiding. _You know how they get. They need some incentive to know that they have a chance of stopping Vanitas and getting my soul back._

Well, I had to hand it to him – that was true. If they knew all about our mind-communication thing, they wouldn't panic as much. But still…

_Sheesh. You could have a little more faith, you know. _Sora sounded peeved.

_Okay, Mr. Optimist. Let's have you in my shoes for a minute and see how you handle it._

_All right, fine; have it your way, _Sora answered irritably.

Just then another thought occurred to me. _Wait, if Vanitas has your soul, then how are you in my head?_

_I don't know. It probably has nothing to do with my soul, though. Just saying._

_You sure?_

_Well, think about it, _Sora said. _If it did, then you wouldn't be the only one able to hear me, right?_

He had a point there.

_So, my theory is that it's got something to do with the fact that you came from me when I lost my heart. Mentally linked, if you know what I mean, _he clarified.

_So you think we can do this because your heart is somehow connected to me?_

_That would make the most sense._

"Roxas? Where are you? C'mon, let's get started sometime today!" I heard Ven complain.

I grimaced, then I thought, _Well, better get this over with._

_Good luck, _Sora said.

* * *

><p>When I got down there, everyone was waiting. I could almost feel their impatience.<p>

"All right," Terra said, crossing his arms with his usual serious expression. "Keep in mind; you have to tell us everything that you think is relevant to us about our situation."

"…Yeah. Got it." I felt uncomfortable. Before my nerves incapacitated me, I launched into a minute-by-minute recounting of everything that had happened since the minute I got captured. And since I couldn't think of any alternative, I took Sora's advice – I told them everything. I didn't even need to get to the mental link between me and Sora to get some type of reaction.

"…and then Sora got into a weird conversation with this creepy guy named Vanitas –"

Here, Ven interrupted, which I thought was surprising, since Terra usually did most of the questioning.

"Umm…did I hear that right?" he asked me, voice shaking. "Did you just say that the guy's name is _Vanitas_?"

"Yeah. You know him somehow?" I wondered why Terra and Aqua were looking so distressed.

Aqua kept muttering, "It can't be, it can't…" and Terra just stayed silent, with a dark expression.

"Do I know him?" he replied bitterly. "You're looking at his other half."

At this Riku, Axel, and I gasped.

That even got out a reaction from Sora. _Whoa, wait just a minute! He's saying that Vanitas is his other half? Why in the world does he look like __me__, then?_

_We're about to find out, _I answered him.

"How…how is… how is that even…?" Riku couldn't finish his sentence.

"Wait, back up a second!" Axel blurted, looking flustered. "So, what you're saying is that…" he took a deep breath, then continued, "that this Vanitas guy is a _part_ of you?"

Ven didn't answer, looking very troubled. I could relate.

Riku found his voice again and turned to Terra and Aqua asking, "Can either of you guys explain this?"

"Unfortunately," Terra answered. "I got the whole story from Master Xehanort." He looked very disturbed, as if he didn't want to tell this story. Then: "See, Ven was part of his experiment in order to forge the legendary χ-blade (He pronounced it like 'Keyblade') so he could unlock Kingdom Hearts and start another Keyblade War. He tried to get Ven to use the darkness in his heart, but he didn't want to, and Xehanort got fed up with him." He paused. "He unlocked Ven's heart and extracted the darkness from it, and the result of that is the one Roxas had just told us about. Afterwards, Xehanort tried to leave him somewhere to die, but then – and this is from what Ven told me – Sora somehow found his way into his heart and merged with it.

"But Ven eventually defeated him after he got possessed and got his heart back in control, and Vanitas went back to being a part of his heart again."

"Then how did he come back, even after he got reabsorbed?" inquired Axel.

"Ven's jealousy over Sora must have triggered it. That's the best explanation."

That reminded me.

"Hey, guys?" They all turned to look at me, the stress on their faces nearly stopping me. I felt even worse for what I was about to do, but I plowed on. "The thing is…you know how in the note, Vanitas asked for his soul?" They nodded warily. I whispered, "Well…he meant it." Then I looked down, afraid of their reaction.

Riku stood up. "What are you talking about? You brought Sora back with you!"

"No," I shook my head, a tear running down my cheek. "I only brought his body back. Vanitas used his Keyblade to extract his soul."

I'm not going to give you the exact details of their reaction to that. Just consider it a merciful act on my part. But I will tell you what happened afterward. I told them about what I had been most reluctant to discuss – my mental link with Sora.

"…and this is only the second time it's happened, and both times, neither of us knew how it got started." I finished telling my account.

Everyone was quiet for a few heartbeats, then Ven spoke up. "This is the same thing that happened to Sora when you got kidnapped, isn't it? You spoke to him in his head then, too! He told me!"

Terra looked at me sharply. "Is that true, Roxas?"

"Yeah. It's the truth. Why?"

"And you're saying Sora started speaking with you mentally moments after his soul got extracted?"

"That's right." I wondered what Terra was getting at.

"Hmmm…" He started to muse, and wandered out of the room. I knew better than to bother him.

_Roxas? What is Terra talking about? _Sora asked.

_Wish I knew,_ I answered. _And by the way, everyone knows that you're here now, so you need to start taking an active role in this._

_How am I supposed to get actively involved? I have no body to get actively involved with._

_I didn't mean physically, Sora. I meant like being involved in conversations, giving us ideas, that sort of thing._

_Oh. In that case, I'll help out as best as I can._

_Nice to know, _I thought.

"So, Roxas," Riku began. "Is it really true that you can talk with Sora mentally right now?"

I nodded. Yes. "Then can you tell him that we all hope that we'll be able to find a way to get his soul back very soon?" he requested.

I chuckled. "Well, sure, but…I don't really need to." They all looked confused. "Well, you guys might not be able to hear him, but he can hear you guys just as well as I can right now," I explained.

Ven's eyes widened at that. "Wow. That's amazing." Then his expression turned sour. "I do wish that we could hear _him_, at least."

Riku looked stunned. Then he said, "Well, in that case…You just wait until your mom hears about this, Sora; she's going to have a heart attack."

_Oh, no! That's the last thing I need right now! I already have enough problems; you don't need to go and kill my mom, Riku! _Sora exclaimed, panicked.

I relayed his words to Riku, who laughed and stated, "I'm just kidding, Sora."

_Please tell him that I did __not__ appreciate that joke, _Sora told me, sounding and feeling indignant.

_Whatever you say. _I cleared my throat, then I relayed, "Sora didn't like that joke very much."

"Yeah, it was wrong; I'm sorry. I just wanted to know for sure that he was there."

"Well, now you know," I said, grinning.

Ven tried to get in on this conversation, and reminded me of a kid trying to follow a conversation between adults. He could be such a kid sometimes.

"Sora! Hey, Sora!" He was practically jumping up and down. "You can hear me right?"

_Oh, I can hear you all right. _I heard Sora say. _And stop treating me like I'm a parrot you just taught how to talk. I'm not a novelty._

I laughed, then I clarified for Ven's sake: "He can hear you just fine. And he told you to stop treating him like a novelty."

He jumped off the seat and started pumping his fists. "Man, this is awesome!" he exclaimed.

Well, I couldn't deny of his fun, could I? That wouldn't be very nice.

Then Aqua said, "Sora, thank goodness you're not completely gone." Her tone was something close to sheer relief. "We'll get your soul back soon. Just hang tight, okay?"

_Tell her thanks, _Sora told me. _And tell her to stop worrying all the time; it's not good for her._ So I did. She laughed and said, "I'll keep that in mind."

I looked at Axel, surprised that he hasn't said anything yet. "Axel?" I asked. "Don't you want to say anything to Sora?"

"Oh, right," Axel replied, sitting up abruptly. "Hey, Sora, just to let you know – as soon as we get your soul back, I'm going to give you a half nelson for freaking us out like that, okay? You have my warning."

_Why won't you do it already when my body's already here? _asked Sora.

I repeated the question to Axel, who answered, " 'Cause if I do, you won't be able to feel it. Plus, that's messed up."

_Point taken, _Sora said.

_You enjoying this? _I queried.

_Yeah, this roundabout conversation isn't all that bad._

Just then, Terra burst into the room. Epiphany was clearly inscribed in his rugged face.

"What's up?" I started to ask him, but I didn't need to. He launched right into it.

"You guys!" he said breathlessly. "I think I've got it! I know how their mental communication works!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Well, great. This last page got deleted so I had to re-type it. Now it's not as good. . Eh, well. You can't have everything in life. I hope you guys enjoyed reading that as much as I enjoyed writing it!<strong>_


	12. Seeing Double

**Terra manages to work out the mechanisms of Sora and Roxas' mental communication; that's one conundrum out of the way. They now agree to try and get Sora's soul back as soon as possible. They figure out a plan, but then an unexpected event cause them to completely scrap it. Nothing can prepare them for what is about to be revealed…**

**Ch. 11 Seeing Double**

**Roxas**

"Really?" I exclaimed in disbelief. "You figured it out?"

_I can't wait to hear __this__, _Sora muttered with fervor.

The others were just as impatient. "Get on with it, Terra!" urged Ven.

Terra seemed just as anxious to start. He began hurriedly, "From what I've heard from Roxas and Sora, I've concluded that their mental connection can be triggered through unintentional incapacitation or sudden trauma, and there might be a pain-free method to establish the connection, but–"

"Wait just a minute!" I intervened desperately. "I lost you at 'unintentional incapacitation'. And second, what's up with 'sudden trauma'?" Terra could be hard to keep up with sometimes.

"What I mean is," he explained patiently, "is that if something that happens to either of you is either life-threatening or similar, you guys can start speaking to each other telepathically. And as I was about to say," he added, "there is possibly a pain-free method for you two to establish that connection. I'm still figuring out the kinks, but that's what I have so far."

I could feel Sora's elation so strongly it almost felt like my own. _That's great! Then that means we don't have to put ourselves in life-or-death situations in order for us to do this! I can't believe it! Terra can really come through!_

_Whoa, whoa; calm down just a minute, Sora! _I pleaded, clutching my head in my hand. _Tone down the enthusiasm, please. It's pain for my brain._

_Oh. _He sounded sheepish. _Sorry. _

_Well, I can understand that. _I sighed in relief as the ache passed as soon as he calmed down. _I don't want to have either of us in a life-threatening situation for us to communicate like this, either._

Riku heard me breathing out in relief. "You okay, Roxas?"

I nodded. "I'm all right. Sora's enthusiasm just peaked a bit too high."

He chuckled. "Well, that's Sora for you. A kid like always."

_I'm not a kid! _I heard Sora protest indignantly. _Even when I don't have a body, you guys don't give me a break._

That reminded me.

"Hey, guys?" I asked through the eager atmosphere in the room. "Sora's reminded me of something. I think we should really go take care of something now that that's cleared up."

"Yeah? What do we need to do?" asked Axel.

"Well, first things first. We need to go and get Sora's soul back. Now that the deal's out of the way, it should be safer now if we all go together. You guys don't want anything to happen to it, do you?"

"He's right. We should go there now, while we still have a chance," said Ven, standing up.

"Now hold on," Axel cut in. "If we're going to do this, we should at least plan out a strategy."

"Right." Terra went down to business. "While Axel and I come up with a plan, I suggest you get ready in the meantime, or at least think of some ideas to help us." With that he strode out of the room with Axel following.

* * *

><p>How the heck was I going to prepare?<p>

I was in Sora's room, pacing anxiously, trying to come up with a strategy. But I came up with nothing. How do you prepare to fight a guy you know almost nothing about?

_Try to relax_, Sora advised in the midst of my crisis.

_Easy for you to say._

_Well, excuse me for trying to help. You were the one who suggested that we try to go get my soul back in the first place._

_That stings. That really stings._

Sora got irritated. _Look, if you keep looking at things the way you do, things are __not__ going to turn out so great. Try and look at things on the bright side. Honestly, _he continued, _I don't know how you survived this long with that kind of attitude._

Okay, I know that I am pessimistic, but Sora didn't need to stoop that low. It was the last thing I needed right now.

He could feel the pang of hurt I felt when he said that. Sometimes I wish that this mental connection was a little less intimate, but you can't have everything in the world.

_Um…hey, Roxas? I…I didn't mean it like that. _He sounded apologetic, and I couldn't doubt his sincerity, even if I wanted to.

_I know. _I sighed. _It's my fault. I'm the one who should be sorry. It's just…it's hard to not be pessimistic when you've been like this your whole existence._

_I can see that. Come on, Roxas. Start thinking positive! _he encouraged. _It's worked with Riku, and you know his whole history, right?_

_Yeah. _What he was talking about stretched back to when Sora and Riku were still on their island, not having a care in the world except to see different worlds. And one time in their Secret Place, as they had called it, Riku had seen the world's keyhole, and the next time he came, he opened it and let the darkness consume his world just so he can go to see other worlds. That's when Sora's whole destiny to save the world got started, something he really wanted nothing to do with at first, but he knew he had to.

Over the course of his journey, he fought with Riku multiple times, and one time even got his Keyblade stolen. But Sora never gave up on him – which was just as well because if he had…well, he wouldn't be him. It's another long story.

_See? Everything's going to be okay._ His tone was reassuring.

_All right, _I began, _but what do we do now?_

_Now, _Sora said, _we come up with a plan._

* * *

><p><strong>Sora<strong>

I know it's obvious, but being bodiless is _not_ cool. It's also kind of hard to explain what it was like – basically, it's sort of like when Roxas showed me his memory while we were in Twilight Town, or in other words, I saw through his eyes and heard through his ears, and I couldn't move on my own. I'm pretty much trapped in a body, to put it in simpler terms.

So you can imagine how annoying it was for me seeing the same scenery over and over: white door, marble wall, hospital bed, me, the windows, the curtain on the windows, the ground, and to the door again.

Roxas was clearly not bothered since he was too busy pacing all over the room trying to think of a way to help Terra and Axel think of a plan, but he was driving me absolutely crazy. The kicker? He knew it. The way he was acting you'd think he was the one who lost his soul, but luckily I thought of that after I got my soul back, so he doesn't know. But I could understand how he felt.

Three weeks.

It's been that long since Roxas had told us his idea and Terra and Axel had started formulating their plan. I didn't think that such a task would require so much planning. I was starting to get a prickle of fear whenever Vanitas cropped up in our minds, and it certainly didn't help the situation.

Finally, I had to say something. If you were me, you'd want to mouth him off, too. Roxas' pessimism was really getting on my nerves.

"For the love of Heartless, Roxas; stop thinking like this!" I complained. "At least _try _to think of what might happen if we _succeed_."

Probably not the right thing to say, considering the circumstances, but when you're really, really, _really_ irritated, clear thinking is thrown out the window.

_You're really not helping, you know_, Roxas said fretfully.

"Yeah, that's only because you're not letting me. Come on, Roxas. Start thinking positive!" I said.

_Easy for you to say. _He answered in a bitter tone.

This is where he seriously started to make me want to punch something. I get it that people get angsty at some point, but this was seriously beyond normal phases of human life. Roxas gets pardoned a little since he was a Nobody; just being one sucks in the first place. But this was more than I could tolerate.

"Roxas, I mean it. Pull it together! If you're like this when we actually go out to carry out the plan, your doubt is seriously going to hurt our chances and it'll give you something to be really depressed about!" I positively shouted.

_I'm sorry! _He was clearly not expecting that reaction to his statement. _I'm just–_

"I know, Roxas. I know! You're worried about things that might go wrong, and that's exactly where you messed up! You need to start thinking in terms of success – what might go right! Toss the cynicism in the trash and get it together!"

_Okay, okay! I get it; you can stop now_, he complained. I could feel the relieved amusement that washed over him. I'm glad that did the trick, because I really didn't want to go any farther than that.

"Thank goodness; I thought I would have to go farther to snap you out of it."

_I'm glad you didn't since it wouldn't have been pretty._

We laughed it off, but then something really weird – interesting, and kind of creepy, too – but still really weird.

My body started to move. It sat up, and opened its sightless hollow blue eyes, and lifted up a hand. The Kingdom Key appeared, and it shot a beam of light at the opposite wall, and it opened up a bright portal. After that was done, the Keyblade disappeared and my body slumped back lifelessly back onto the bed.

You have no _idea_ how freaked out I was. If I could have screamed, I definitely would have, without a second thought.

Luckily (or unluckily; I don't know. I still don't know) Roxas screamed for me. Actually, it was more like a really loud gasp of panic, but hey, take your pick. At least the others will know what just went on.

"Did…did you just see that?" I gasped, panicked.

_I would have my Keyblade shattered into a million pieces to never see that again_, he stuttered back.

There was a stampeding sound thundering up the steps. So they heard him. Either he had been really loud or this castle had hidden microphones.

The door slammed open and – bless King Mickey, they were all there. Saves explaining later, which was almost close to utterly impossible.

"What happened up here? I heard you screaming, Roxas!" cried Ven. "Is everything okay?"

Riku and Aqua were stunned speechless at the sight of the seemingly random portal in the middle of my room, and soon the others followed suit.

Riku managed a few words. "What…what is that? How did it get there?"

Roxas explained everything to them about what had resulted in that mysterious portal opening. They were as every bit as freaked out as we had been.

"Sora's body started to move?" Aqua shrieked in disbelief, pale as a ghost. "And…and it opened up that portal with the Keyblade?"

Axel spoke up. "Well, what do you know…looks like we found our answer."

Riku faced him. "What? How is this random portal our answer? We don't even know where it leads!"

"Exactly." Terra had finally spoken. They all turned to face him.

He continued, "Obviously, since Sora's body opened up the portal, it should lead us to clues about his soul's whereabouts. If we enter this portal, we just might find a way to get to Sora's soul, maybe even get it back. I suggest we take this chance."

"Well, it's not really your decision, Terra." Axel crossed his arms and grinned.

"What?"

"I mean, this is Sora's soul we're talking about here. He at least should have a say in all this. It really wouldn't be fair if we made all the decisions, now would it?" said Axel. Then he turned to Roxas – and by extension, me. "What do you think we should do, Sora?"

_Sora?_ questioned Roxas.

"Let's do it," I replied without hesitation. "It's gotta mean something, right? Since my body opened up that portal and all. And just in case we actually find my soul, let's take my body with us, so I can be back in commission as soon as possible. If not…well, we could use it as a handy way to get back here if need be."

_Geez, Sora, you think that your body is like something used for mass transit or something_, Roxas told me with amusement. _All right, if that's what you want._ Then he repeated all that I had said to the rest of the gang.

Axel clapped his hands. "It's settled then. Let's scrap our original plan and get going before it disappears." Without a moment's delay he walked into the portal and vanished. Terra, Ven, and Aqua followed only after a moment's hesitation.

Roxas looked at Riku pleadingly, thinking: _Please don't make me carry him again._

He immediately understood, and put me on his back, then walked into the portal. Roxas and I trailed in last as webs of bright light enveloped us.

* * *

><p><strong>Roxas<strong>

When we finally came out on the other side, I didn't really know what my expectations were. A lab was definitely not one of them.

My stomach did a little somersault. It looked disturbingly similar to…_his_ computer room. When I didn't say anything for a minute, Sora prompted me.

_Roxas? Is something wrong?_ he asked.

I tried to pull myself together but wasn't altogether successful. _Y-yeah. I'm fine._ I must be the worst liar in the world.

_C'mon, Roxas; don't lie to me. There's something familiar about this place, isn't there?_

…_Yeah. _As dense as he can get sometimes, you can't really hide anything from him. Even if he's not in your head.

Ven walked up next to me, his mouth agape. "Wow…what is this place?"

"It looks like an underground laboratory to me," observed Terra, fingering a peculiar-looking glass vial.

When my gaze slid over to Riku, he seemed disappointed, maybe even a little upset. "Just great. How is this place going to take us any closer to Sora's soul?"

Okay, let me break it to you: it didn't really look like a lab to me. It was really dim inside, even for a manmade underground structure. Plus, it was quiet. Eerily quiet. I expected some alarm to go off or some security guards or something, but there wasn't any sound at all.

And then, there were the rooms. There was a door to our left and back, and a hallway opening up to the right with even more doors. The doors seemed unimportant, and most of us overlooked them. As I walked around taking in all the strange contraptions, I noticed that there was a faint light from what seemed to be the very end of the hallway. I pointed this out to the others who were busy poking and prodding the strange machinery. I had no idea what they were then, don't know now, and I never want to know. Like they say – some things are better left unknown.

"Really? What do you think is in there?" mused Aqua.

"Well, as for me, I'd love to find out." Axel clapped his hands with finality. "Who's in?"

Of course, we all agreed, then we headed down the corridor.

_Hey, don't you think that it's strange that no one's noticed us here yet?_ Sora asked.

_Yeah…I noticed it too. There aren't any surveillance cameras or trip lasers or any security equipment at all. _I started feeling uneasy. Something funny was going on here…

We reached the end of the corridor and a door that seemed to be the source of the light. Now that I was closer, the light seemed to shine with a soft brightness, as if it was sun shining through mist. There was something familiar about that light…

All of a sudden, Sora went tense. Fear started to trickle into me, which was probably because of Sora, yet I had no idea what there was here to be scared of. It got to the point where I started to feel nauseous enough that I had to lean on the wall for support.

_Hey, Sora?_ I asked. _Are you okay? I'm starting to feel sick._

_Don't go in there_, he whispered fearfully. _Please._

_Huh?_ I was mystified. _Why?_

_There's something in there… I don't…I can't… Just don't go –_ His panicked plea broke off, then a sharp pain shot through my chest.

I slid to the floor, knees like jelly. My head was throbbing so much I thought it might crack open. The nausea went from bad to worse and threatened to make me gag. But that was the least of my problems.

Whatever could make Sora act like this, I did _not_ want to see.

Ven had noticed me on the floor. He jogged over, concern in his anxious eyes.

"Hey, you okay, Roxas?" he asked, crouching down.

I shook my head. It hurt. "I think…I should just stay here awhile."

"What for?" he asked incredulously. "Our answer could be right there!"

"I know," I replied. "It's just that Sora won't let me go in." I drew in a shaky breath, then I continued, "He's…scared. Really scared. It's hard to explain."

"Oh…" Ven started. He hadn't been expecting that. Then he said cautiously, "Is…is that why you're not feeling so good?"

I nodded. That made me dizzy. "Just go on without me. I'll be fine."

"Well…if you say so," he decided. "I'll let the others know."

I made no move to stop him as he walked toward them. My head was killing me and my arms felt like lead. I began to grow very disturbed, but not at my predicament.

In just moments they surrounded me. I probably should have ignored my arm's protests and grabbed his pant leg or something. Too late now.

"Roxas, are you feeling all right?" Aqua asked. "Ven told us you were feeling sick."

"I'll…be okay." Sora's panic was turning into hysteria. I couldn't find the strength to say any more than that.

"You should stay here and rest," Terra advised. "We'll let you know if we find anything."

Riku walked up and set Sora down next to me. Then he said, "I'll leave him with you, then. Get some rest." He straightened, and left with the rest.

They entered the room and left me in the dark corridor with Sora's body next to me, with me wondering if I would ever find the answer to the reason for Sora's sudden apprehension.

* * *

><p>I have no clue how long I sat there.<p>

It could have been a few minutes, or several hours. All I knew was that my nausea was finally gone and, though my arms still felt heavy and my head still hurt a little, and Sora had gone strangely quiet. For a minute I was afraid he wasn't there anymore.

…_I'm still here._ Sora's tone was hard to place, and it worried me a little. But at least he wasn't gone. I breathed a little sight of relief.

_Hey, are you feeling okay?_ I asked. _Do you feel better now?_

_I should be the one asking that. _His tone and manner was laden with guilt. _I'm sorry, Roxas. I'm really sorry. I just… _His voice broke.

I knew that he was sorry about more than just making me feel sick. I understood. I guess it's the normally unseen intimacy between you and your other self. But there was an undercurrent to his attitude that I couldn't really place – I couldn't tell if it was guilt, grief, or regret, or a combination of any of the three. I really couldn't see why he had refused to go into that room, but I was sure he had his reasons, and I had to respect that.

_Hey, don't worry about it_, I tried to reassure him. _I'm sure you have your reasons._

_None of them justify my keeping you here_, he responded miserably.

Sora wasn't acting like himself, and it bothered me. I mean, this is Sora we're talking about here – always happy, optimistic, polar opposite of me, looks at the orange rather than the mold on it.

I was just about to ask him about that when the light in the room suddenly flared and I heard a startled cry that I recognized as Ven's. Something was wrong.

I didn't have time to react before I heard something else – a deafening crash, like someone had smashed some sort of container. What in the world was going on in there?

I had to go in there to see what was happening, but Sora argued vehemently.

_You can't go in there, what're you thinking?_

_Well, I can't just stay here! What if something happened to the others?_

_They can take care of themselves! Think about who you're talking about here, Roxas!_

_But I – _

Just then, another surprise greeted us. A bright, misty ball of light flew through the door and headed straight for us. So that was where the light was coming from.

That aside, it also explained why it looked so familiar. It was –

_No way_, Sora breathed.

Way.

It was Sora's soul, no denying it. That must've been the crash.

Without a pause, it floated toward Sora's body and disappeared into his chest. Right then, Sora's presence was also fading from my consciousness.

But just before he completely disappeared, I heard one last thought: _Thanks for everything, Roxas._

_Yeah_, I answered. _You, too._

His thoughts rang in my mind much longer than it should've, but I didn't care about that. I had been looking over at Sora the whole time.

Sora opened his eyes, and they were the same bright blue that I remembered. He blinked a few times, and stared at his hands as he opened and closed his fists as if to make sure that he had really come back. Then he faced me and grinned.

"Hey." He chuckled a little at his anticlimactic greeting.

"Hey yourself," I answered with a smile. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm feeling awesome." He smiled at me again. "It's so good to be able to move again."

"That's good."

"Yep. I'm sure you can relate."

"Right, for about half an hour compared to your half a month."

"Point taken."

I stood up after what seemed like hours and stretched. Then I turned to face Sora. "Well, we can't just sit here and do nothing. You think you can handle going inside, or are you going to wait?"

"Nah, I feel fine now. I have no idea why I was scared just a moment ago."

"Fine, if you say so. Can you stand?"

He started to get up, and when he was standing, he suddenly staggered, and I had to catch him before he fell on his face.

Sora smiled at me ruefully. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "Not walking for a while can really put your legs in a bind."

"Oh. Well, that's understandable. Geez, you scared me. For a minute there I thought you were going to pass out on me again."

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine, really." He certainly did look okay. But I wasn't taking any chances.

"Here, you can lean on me." I put his arm around my shoulder, then headed for the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Sora<strong>

The room was much bigger than I had cared to imagine. A whole house could have fit inside with room to spare. There were capsules big enough to fit a person inside lining the walls. Almost all of them were empty. Just that and the sheer size of the room was so distracting that I almost forgot what we came in here for.

"Over there," Roxas said, pointing straight ahead, breaking me out of my reverie.

"Uh, right. Let's go."

By this time I was able to walk on my own again, and we headed toward the specks that were our friends. They were scattered out here and there, fairly close to each other just in case something happened.

While walking we passed a capsule smaller than the rest that had been completely shattered. That was probably the source of the huge crash we had heard earlier.

After that, I started to walk faster, almost jogging, my mind churning with questions. Roxas had to jog to keep up.

Aqua was the first to notice me. She just stared at first, not believing what she was seeing. Then she gasped, "Sora? Is that really you?"

The rest of them heard her, then suddenly saw the reason for her shock. They all came running up to me, relief clearly showing on their weary faces.

"Sora, it's really you!"

"I'm glad you're back up again!"

"Nothing can keep you down!"

"I can't believe it!"

I faced round after round of greetings until I heard a different voice. Different, but strangely familiar, too. So familiar, in fact, that I thought I was the one that had spoken. But that wasn't possible…

"Well, of all the people in the world I could've seen first, it had to be you."

Everyone definitely heard that.

"Uh, Sora? Did you say something?" Riku asked.

"No. It wasn't me."

"But I could've sworn it was you…" he trailed off.

"I didn't say anything."

That same voice said, "You'd better turn around if you want to know who it is." It seemed like he was talking to Riku this time.

Riku and the others whirled around as I stepped through them, and what we saw completely defied all aspects of the word 'reality'.

There was someone standing there.

He had spiky brown hair framing his blue eyes, which were looking me over critically, with the smallest hint of a strange mix of envy and amusement. Black and silver clothes; black, fingerless gloves; zipper shoes; baggy pants; a crown pendant …and a Keyblade in his hand.

He smirked. "Hey there, Real Thing."

I was completely speechless.

He was a perfect carbon copy of me.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Yes! Finally, I finished the first book! I feel so proud of myself ^_^. I could've finished this earlier, but life has distractions. <strong>__**I sincerely hope that you enjoyed reading all of it! It was worth the effort!**_


	13. Confession

_**I already have this chapter written out in rough draft, and I hope that it will make a little sense, at least. Well, getting back to this chapter…**_

**Sora finds out that Vanitas has made a perfect clone of him, much to his shock. And after a long backstory, Vanitas himself appears and offers Sora the 'truth' of what really has been going on. This isn't looking good at all…for anyone…  
><strong>

**Ch. 12 Confession**

**Sora**

It took me a moment to remember how to speak, then I stammered, "Wh-who…?"

"C'mon," he said, putting his free hand on his hip. "I thought you'd be smarter than that."

I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to. Every inch of my body yearned to deny it. I wanted to think that it was all my imagination, to believe that it was some weird hallucination I was experiencing as an after-effect of regaining my body and soul. This wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible. No one had ever done it before, not ever. This wasn't real…a delusion…

No such luck. The truth was staring me in the face, and it would stay that way until I accepted it. I finally sighed in defeat after a couple of minutes.

"You've figured it out, haven't you?" he prompted me. "It's obvious, any way you look at it. I'm you."

Those last two words made me snap. Instead of making me crazy upset, I was seriously ticked off. It's a weird reaction, and I know it. But having people making copies of you all the time can really get to you. Even I couldn't believe what I had been feeling then.

"Geez," I complained. "Has anyone heard of the phrase 'There's only one you'? I mean, really! I don't need any more of me! Why can't I be only one person for once? Seriously, this is really getting old!"

Riku was obviously not expecting my reaction. He stared at me, stunned. "Wh-what? Sora, aren't you bothered by this at all?"

"Well, sure I am," I replied. "You know what it feels like, don't you, Riku?" I sighed. "You were cloned by bad guys, too."

Guess I owe an explanation for this.

The thing is, Riku had also been cloned once by a member of Organization XIII by the name of Vexen in order to kill me (downside of being an overly powerful good guy – the overly powerful bad guys want you dead). I'm still alive, obviously – the truth of the matter is that the last time I saw him was right before I went to kill Marluxia. When I told Riku about it later on, he said that he'd seen his replica before, too. Then he told me not to "worry about him anymore", which made me assume that I would never see his replica again.

That's not to say that I didn't have my share of identity crises. Roxas himself is proof of that. He's me with no heart, so that effectively makes him my clone. Xion was…well, both me and Roxas, if that makes any sense.

Now I know what you're probably thinking – how is Xion both me and Roxas, even though she's a girl? See, the thing is that Xion was created from my leaked memories while I was asleep to get them back. That put a kink in Naminè's attempt to piece it back together, but my continuation to life got a whole fissure. If I didn't get all my memories back, I would never wake up. The whole thing started because some of my memories snuck into Roxas, who in turn was unknowingly passing it on to Xion, making him weaker and her stronger.

The weirder thing is that Xion was supposed to be a copy of Roxas – and by extension, me – but she ended up looking like the Kairi I remembered – to Axel and Roxas, anyway. Her appearance depended on who looked at her. For instance, she could have looked like a faceless, hooded puppet to one person, but looked like a black-haired Kairi lookalike to another. She even looked like Ven to Xigbar, which Axel had told me later on. The way she looked was very unstable. The fact that Xion had looked like Kairi is embarrassing in itself since Xion was built from _my_ memories, and that was what it had showed to her closest friends who also happened to be my friends, too. On the other hand, she was supposed to absorb Roxas and become the "real" me, so I'd never wake up, but in the end Roxas did the absorbing instead (I still owe him for that) then he rejoined with me sometime later, after which I woke up. And now he's back because…well, you know the story.

She was my second copy.

Here I was staring at my third – and from what I know, the best – copy. It was disturbing how similar we looked, considering the fact that none of my replicas had ever looked anything like me (except in one of Xion's cases). It was like staring into a mirror. Vanitas was one heck of a guy to make such a complete clone of me.

"Impressed?"

It had gotten so quiet during those few moments that the unexpected voice caught me by surprise and made me flinch. It seemed to be coming out of nowhere. I turned around.

A black portal appeared and Vanitas stepped out of it. Well, of course. Who else could it have been?

Strike what I said earlier. I add Vanitas to my list of me.

Terra, Ven, and Aqua tensed.

"You," Terra growled, his voice black with hatred, but Vanitas didn't seem to hear. He strode over to where my clone and I were having a stare-down.

He paused a few feet from me, and stared. His eyes flickered from me to my clone several times.

Finally he asked with mock confusion, "Which one of you is the real one?"

I felt my clone freeze next to me. I glanced over to see that his (well, my) face was contorted with envy and anger for a split second. I could understand why he would have felt that way, but he wasn't my biggest problem at the moment. Just that one sentence – a seemingly innocent-sounding question – seriously irritated me. Who did this guy think he was, anyway?

I glanced back at Vanitas. He looked as if he didn't really care about my clone's reactions. Which was probably the case.

"Ha ha, you're so funny. So Mr. I–Think–I–Know–Everything," I said scathingly. "I have a question for you."

"Well, fire away. Of course, it all depends on whether I answer you or not."

I fought back the urge to punch him. I took a deep breath to calm myself, then looked at Vanitas straight in the eye. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you clone me?"

"Do I need to give you a reason?"

"What – are you saying you did it just for the heck of it?"

"Whoa, chill out, Mr. Spaz; I didn't say I didn't have one." He gave me a superior look. "I just don't feel like telling you."

There's only so much a person can take, right? No matter how patient he is.

"I want an answer _now_, Vanitas," I started to take a step toward him, but Riku held me back with a hand on the shoulder and a shake of the head. I could do nothing but glare at him spitefully.

Vanitas then suddenly burst out laughing – it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. This guy wasn't just evil – he was insane. Judging from what I had seen so far, I knew that an insane evil genius is _not_ a good sign.

His laughter subsided after a few seconds, but I could still hear traces of it when he spoke. "You're so funny, Sora; you just crack me up. You want to know? Really?" He chuckled. "Then again, there's nothing you can do about it in the long run."

"Oh, yeah?" Roxas challenged.

"We'll see about that!" countered Ven.

"Such confidence. Sorry to say, but it goes without saying – it's hopeless for you. And besides, it's really not worth my time telling you guys what I'm up to. Sitting back and watching you guys guess is much more fun."

It took me a second to believe that I actually heard that.

"But, I guess that leaving you guys without any information _is_ kind of unfair," he mused. Yeah, right. Like he had always been fair before. "I'll give you guys a clue, just to make it reasonable."

He summoned his Keyblade in a flash of purple fire as he spoke. I tensed. At first he didn't do anything. He just stood there eyeing me as if he suddenly regretted letting us have the information, then he pointed his Keyblade straight at me.

Nothing happened at first.

* * *

><p><strong>Roxas<strong>

I inched closer to Sora, just in case Vanitas decided to pull a fast one. Call me paranoid, but really – did you expect me to do anything else? Vanitas might've decided to shoot him with something, or worse. And being his other half and all, I really didn't want to be one-ended after Sora did. But of course, I was worried about what might happen to him too, since he had already been the butt of most misfortunes lately – he went through torture, amnesia, ransom, and being confined in my mind. Sora really needed a break. Really.

Then suddenly, as if fate had decided to do exactly what I didn't want it to do just for the sake of ticking me off, Sora fell onto his knees, his head in his hands. Then he proceeded to putting one hand on the ground to brace himself. Strangely though, he didn't look like he was suffering. He was getting pale, the color draining from his skin…what was Vanitas doing? And I couldn't understand what I saw in his eyes – it was pure horror.

"Sora!" Aqua started towards him, anxiety etched on her face. But just then Sora's clone blocked her path and flashed his Keyblade at her, stopping her progress.

"Don't interrupt the process, or you're seriously going to regret it." He rolled his eyes before saying, "It's not like he's getting hurt, after all."

I started to say something, but Aqua beat me to it. "You must be joking! So what if he isn't getting hurt? You think it doesn't matter to me as long as he stays conscious? What is wrong with you? He's my friend! Why else would I be worried about him? Get out of my way!" She pushed past him roughly and continued towards Sora as I stared after her with wide eyes. She was tough. I made a mental note then to never cross her when she was upset.

But she was stopped once again by another Keyblade. However, this time it wasn't the clone.

Aqua stared in shock and confusion at the Keyblade brandished at her chest. I could easily see why. This time, it was our Sora who had stopped her.

"No," he said through a heavy stupor. "Stay away."

We were appalled. Ven protested, "But Sora, you – "

"No!" Ultima Weapon flashed dangerously, and we all took a step back. "I can't let you near me…get back …stay away from me!"

His tone rang with finality, but I could hear an undercurrent of fear, which I couldn't understand at all. Something even more vexing was that Sora's eyes seemed to be focused on something else than the white walls and capsules surrounding us. In fact, it wasn't fixated on anything – was he hallucinating? What in the world was going on here? Sora never acted like this – ever. I looked at the faces of my friends to see how they were taking all this in. I could tell that they couldn't believe what they were witnessing any more than I did.

"What are you doing to him?" I shouted at Vanitas in frustration. "Why are you making him act this way?"

"You idiot." Vanitas spared a withering glance in my direction. "I'm not the reason he's acting like that." I could only stare in numb horror. "And besides, you should be thanking me. I'm curing his amnesia one-hundred percent, free of charge. Debt repaid."

Terra said, "What nonsense are you talking about? He's already – " He suddenly stopped and blanched as he slowly understood. "You're…you're not serious…you can't be…!"

Vanitas smiled maliciously. After what seemed an age he finally lowered his Keyblade and made it disappear. At that moment, Sora moaned and slumped. Ultima Weapon clattered to the ground and disappeared in a flash of light. He didn't move.

"Well, I gave you what you wanted, plus a bonus. If I were you, I'd appreciate it. As for him…" Vanitas walked up to Sora's still form on the ground in front of us. "He'll tell you everything when he wakes up. In the meantime, I'll be…busy with some things." He disappeared into a Corridor of Darkness as he spoke.

Sora's clone flashed a grin and with a cheery, "Later!" he was gone in a flash of light.

"Sora!" Riku immediately ran to Sora's side and turned him over gently. We weren't far behind.

"I-is he okay?" Ven asked, his voice shaking.

"Yeah," he frowned. "There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him at all. It's like he just…fell asleep."

"Man," Axel said, scratching his head. "He never gets a break, does he?"

Terra sighed. "Well, it's hard not to feel sorry for him sometimes just because of his status. If you're the Keyblade Master of the Realm of Light, then you're obviously a target for such things. It's amazing he can take all of that in stride."

Axel chuckled weakly. "Well, this _is_ Sora we're talking about here."

"True," he agreed, nodding.

While this amiable side conversation was taking place, I was desperately trying to make Sora open his eyes, because I couldn't take any more of this, I just couldn't. There are only so many times a simple Nobody like me can handle seeing my other self being tormented time and again. This wasn't fair. Sora was probably the nicest person anyone would ever meet. I heard people talking about how they felt sorry for me because I'm his Nobody, but I didn't care, nor was it true. Sora never got the recognition he deserved just because of his crazy and playful antics. People never took him seriously, and I couldn't blame them for that. That was the only side of Sora they ever saw. None of them knew what he was going through because he never liked to shove his problems onto anyone else. Even we don't always know how he's feeling day after day. Whenever we ask him what's wrong, he always answers cheerfully like there is nothing wrong. You might ask why and the answer is simple: it's just not his way. Even with all this recent craziness taking place, he never let it get to him. Even when it got really bad. Knowing all this, it was killing me to keep the secret from him – that it was who Ven was the one who had caused him to be hospital-ridden – but I couldn't tell him. Not yet. It actually seemed more like I wasn't going to have to say anything to him anymore. Not after what Vanitas had told us.

But could we trust him?

"Sora! Sora, wake up!" I pleaded desperately. "Sora!"

He didn't move, trapped in the dark confines of his mind once again. This was the last straw. I stepped back, fists clenched so hard they turned white, and screamed in frustration. My friends came up to me all sounding concerned, but I wasn't paying attention. All my focus was on the still form of my other – no, my friend – on the floor, and I couldn't imagine what he was seeing right now. I didn't want to.

* * *

><p><strong>Sora<strong>

"_Sora! Sora, wake up!"_

"_Sora!"_

I recognized the voice to be Roxas, but I ignored him. I knew that Roxas was going to give me hell for this, but I needed to focus in order to understand what Vanitas had wanted to give me.

I couldn't focus on the echoes of the distant voices. There was a pain somewhere in my chest that I can't adequately describe – hurt, maybe, or anger. I didn't understand why I was feeling that way. I couldn't. I wanted to. But there was something else that barred me from such understandings – it was suffocating, like I was choking on something, and I was trying to get it back up so I could try again.

Pictures were floating around me in the dark, faint and fleeting. There were images that were familiar – me and my friends in my hospital room, then of us in Twilight Town, then one of us at the night of the bonfire. Then there were those that I couldn't comprehend at all – one with me, Leon, Yuffie, and Axel in Hollow Bastion being attacked by Heartless; and one with me on my knees in Twilight Town appearing to be screaming.

The images faded away, and I heard a voice speaking lines frighteningly familiar. They faded in and out as each began and ended:

_"Don't worry. I won't hurt you just yet. I can't come back if you're dead."_

_"Man, you're an idiot. He is pretty much the reason for your being in the hospital, after all."_

_"If he hadn't resisted me, you would have been long gone."_

Then I suddenly heard words both unfamiliar and unnerving:

"_Pretty soon, you will be divided along my planned faults. You'll thank me later."_

That last statement I heard filled my heart with dread. Not to say that the others didn't alarm me, but for some strange reason that I didn't understand, I felt like I had heard those first few statements before. The words I just heard weren't the only things about it that frightened me. There was something about the voice I couldn't place, but hearing it made my heart turn to lead. It didn't help that the last words gave me a sense of foreboding – something was going to happen, and it was going to be big. And whatever it was going to be, it wasn't going to be good.

As the last word faded away, and I felt an unsettling presence approaching. I turned to catch sight of something coming closer.

No, it was some_one_ – but who?

The figure came nearer and nearer, taking each step deliberately, and suddenly paused ten feet away. I could see its – no, his – features clearly now. And I could not believe what I was seeing. It made no sense. No sense at all.

It was Ven.

* * *

><p>You have absolutely no idea how confused I was when I saw him. He's one of my closest friends, almost brothers, like the way I am with Riku and Roxas. I never expected him to appear in my dreams, though – in this particular one no less.<p>

That stopped me for a second. Dream? I remembered feeling the pain, the agony that was crushing my head, the stupor that had threated to drag me away. But I never remembered actually blacking out. Was this all a dream? Was this all in my head, my brain coming up with random images of me and my friends that it had recorded? But no, that couldn't be possible. I knew Ven. As confused as I was, I somehow knew that this wasn't my friend. There was something seriously wrong.

I meant to ask, _"What happened to you?"_ but it came out as, _"What are you?" _Even when the words escaped my lips I couldn't hear myself say it, but somehow, he heard. He grinned, amber eyes flashing. I wanted to take a step back, but my legs wouldn't move. They were rooted to the spot I was standing. So I stood there helplessly as his insane smile threatened to push my mind over the threshold to the breaking point.

But it didn't stop there. The thing that was impersonating my friend stepped closer until he was four feet away. My heart was pounding, and sweat poured down my brow as I waited to see what he would do next. In the small part of my brain that wasn't engulfed in panic, I realized that this was probably part of Vanitas's "clue". But I couldn't see how.

My nerves were already stretched to the limit. I didn't think I could take anymore. Right as I thought this, he reached out with his right hand, making as if to grab my neck. He paused inches away, then – his grin widening to something close to that of insanity – he clamped his fist. At that moment a searing pain assaulted my entire body.

_No…no, no, please, not again! Please!_ I pleaded desperately. It was all I could manage before images flashed through my head, the pain intensifying all the while. It got to the point where I had to fight with all my willpower I could muster to stay conscious within my subconscious because I knew that if I lost here, I wouldn't be going back. I had to be strong here, or else I'd have no information to take back from here, wherever _here_ was. I might not even be able to go back.

The things I was seeing didn't make sense. I constantly saw things that I don't remember happening to me at all. Did these things actually happen? Or was it all a trick, an illusion? With the knowledge that it was Vanitas who was doing this, I couldn't really afford to trust him.

But still…

I had to know. Vanitas had said that he had some plan, and if there was any way to get an edge over him, I could not afford to let this chance go to waste. I had to retain all the information that was pouring into my mind, even if I didn't understand it all.

I gasped. I couldn't believe I was actually seeing this. I saw everyone save Terra and Axel outside my hospital room. I don't remember this happening at all. What Aqua was saying to Roxas and Ven utterly knocked the breath out of me.

_Ven was arguing, "What's the big idea? What's he –" She cut him off._

"_Listen, we can't let Sora know that you tried to kill him, Ven!" she was scolding. "We never know what might happen! After he got tortured, comatose and amnesiac, we have no idea where his health is standing right now. Even the slightest disturbance to his mind right now can prove fatal if we're not careful! I know he __seems__ perfectly fine, but let's not take any chances. Until Sora returns to full health, __no__ one__ is going to tell him the truth. You understand me?" Roxas and Ven nodded. _

_She sighed, "Okay," Then she turned back to the door. "I hope Terra managed to cook up a good story."_

_They lied…_ I caught myself, not wanting to believe it. But I knew it was true. _They lied to me…they're keeping something from me…why? _This wasn't possible.

Unless…

I shook my head. Vanitas had said that he had giving me answers (to a degree) but I realized that this wasn't it. I needed to talk to my friends.

"_Sora! You okay?"_

I started. That voice…Terra? It sounded like it was coming from far away…

"_Hurry, Sora, wake up!"_

Ven? His voice seemed louder, like it was coming closer.

"_Wake up!"_

Roxas?

I looked around in confusion as the darkness surrounding me spontaneously emanated bright light.

I sat up abruptly with a startled gasp. Breathing hard, I looked up. All my friends were surrounding me, their faces lit up with weary relief.

"You're awake!" Aqua exclaimed happily. "You seemed like you were having quite a nightmare. Are you all right?" She added anxiously.

Everyone else seemed resigned to talking. They were silent. I also looked down without saying a word, not wanting to trust the wayward emotions coursing through me.

* * *

><p><strong>Roxas<strong>

We were in the castle lobby. I stared at Sora, who was standing a little ways away, uneasily. I didn't know what to do now. Sora hadn't said a word ever since he woke up several days ago, and it was really bothering me. I don't know what he saw while he was asleep, but I could guarantee that it was something pretty major if Sora was so quiet. The reason I think so is…well…he's usually never quiet.

Just standing there brooding didn't help either. I sighed and turned to walk outside. I needed some fresh air. I stepped out, walked over to one of the benches, and sat down.

To any normal person, the day seemed perfect. The sun was shining brightly as though it had no other care in the world. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and a bluebird flew overhead, chirping as it went. The marble seat was cool to the touch, smooth as glass and just as clean. The grass beneath my feet was fresh green, and I could see a ladybug crawling on a nearby flower. When it reached the tip, it opened its wings and took off, flying into the distance. I turned and looked up to see the castle shining a brilliant white, reflecting the rays of the sun off of the rugged marble bricks. I smiled wistfully.

_If only I was even a person at all_, I thought, staring up at the deep blue sky, pondering its hue.

* * *

><p>"Roxas?"<p>

I started, surprised at hearing the all-too-familiar voice. After so long.

I turned my head to see Sora behind me. His face held a nervous, almost fearful expression. I was confused, but at least he was speaking at the moment.

"Yeah?" I inquired. "What is it?"

He walked around and sat down on the bench next to me, his face still impassive. I wondered if he realized that I was just as nervous as he was.

"Um, listen, Roxas…" Sora bit his lip. "I wanted to talk with you, since you're my other and all…" He trailed off.

"I'm all ears. What do you want to talk about?"

"Well, the thing is…there was something that…I wanted to ask everyone about, but at the same time, I didn't really want to," he began. He tightened his fists on his lap. Then he continued, "Then I thought that I should talk to you first before saying anything, because, well…" He took a deep breath. "I…I want to know the truth first."

The truth?

Sora looked at me with pleading, almost desperate eyes. "You…you won't lie to me, right?"

"Lie?" I picked out the word in surprise. "Why would I do that? I have no reason to lie to you."

"Okay then." He closed his eyes, then opened them again, looking skyward. "While I was asleep…" I flinched, but Sora didn't notice. Or at least I hope he didn't. "…I saw Aqua with you and Ven outside my hospital room…you were saying something about…" He swallowed hard. "Ven, he…tried to kill me…didn't he?" He turned to me as he spoke those words, eyes brimming with questions.

My throat felt dry. I knew this was coming, but I half-hoped that it never would. But what good would it do to keep Sora in the dark at this point?

"Well…y-yeah…he did."

"I wonder why he didn't finish the job."

I was startled by his blunt statement, but what surprised me more was his tone. He faced the opposite direction, propped his right arm on his knee, and sighed, shaking his head. I stared in disbelief. He couldn't be serious.

"Of course…Ven's too nice to do anything like that, right?" Sora gave a hollow chuckle. "I should've known."

His words caught me completely off-guard. I wasn't expecting this at all.

"But that's not what's important to me right now." Seriously? What else is more important than finding out that one of your best friends tried to murder you and caused this whole mess because of it? "I need to know everything." His eyes flashed dangerously bright.

I was stunned. "Everything as in…_everything_?"

Sora rolled his eyes in mock disbelief. "Well, that's usually what 'everything' means, Roxas."

I leaned back on the bench, my hand on my forehead, and let out a loud gusty sigh. Well, there you go. That's Sora in a nutshell.

"What?" Sora eyed me curiously.

I let out a weary chuckle. "You're the same as always, aren't you?"

"Aw, c'mon, Roxas. I thought you knew me better than that." He smiled apologetically and scratched his head in embarrassment. "Sorry I was so quiet these past few days. I was too busy thinking about what I saw when I was asleep and I didn't realize I was worrying you guys. I'm also sorry if I sounded depressing a while ago." He looked back up at the sky again, which was beginning to turn orange. We'd been out here for a long time. "I just had to get the rest of it off my chest."

I shook my head. "You have no idea. I could seriously just choke you right about now for making us crazy with worry for so long."

"Sorry. Really. Please don't kill me."

"Now why would I do that?"

"Oh, I can think of a few reasons."

We laughed it off when we heard the caw of a crow echo in the distance. I looked up. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow over the landscape.

"Wow," I remarked. "We've been out here a while."

"Yeah," he agreed.

I stood up, stretched my arms, and turned to Sora, who was still sitting. "We should go inside."

He nodded. "All right. Besides…" He gave me a playful sideways glance. "Someone owes me an explanation."

I groaned. "Let's just go in."

We both headed back to the castle doors, and just as I was reaching out to the door, it opened and Aqua almost knocked us over as she was rushing out.

She immediately braced herself. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" she apologized. "We were starting to wonder where you guys had gone, so I decided to come out and look for you."

"No harm done, Aqua," Sora dismissed with a wave of his hand.

Aqua stared at Sora. "You seem to be feeling better…are you?" She added uncertainly.

"Well, yes, but…not completely," he confessed.

Aqua raised her eyebrows.

"Listen, I'll tell you later. Besides, I have a lot to tell you guys already." Sora crossed his arms. "But…there is one thing I want to say."

"What?" she asked.

Sora looked her straight in the eye. "You guys owe me an explanation."

* * *

><p><strong>Finally! This chapter took a while ^^; But it's finally done! I hope it makes sense because it's going to tie in to future events in the story…I think... <strong>**Anyway…hope you enjoyed!**


	14. Divided

_**Finally! I'm done with it! I don't like this chapter much though. For some reason I feel like I didn't do something right. But oh well.**_

**Okay, well now Sora knows the truth his friends have been keeping from him. Of course, given his happy nature, he doesn't let it bother him too much, but not so much that he disregards it. He demands the details of that truth. As if to mock our heroes, a cataclysm shakes the Land of Departure. Amidst the chaos, our two heroes are lost and separated from their friends and each other in the shadowy depths of the unearthly tremors. What they encounter on the journey back to their friends may change their fate, and that of the world.**

**Chapter 13: Divided**

**Roxas**

Sora and I walked into the main lobby where everyone was waiting for us. They were scattered around the room, lounging around like they had no other care. There was an edge in the atmosphere that I found uncomfortable.

The current surroundings didn't exactly help much, either. The recent sunset cast a reddish glow on the interiors of the castle, and the lamps hanging on the walls cast ominous, flickering shadows, as if they wanted you to feel like your own shadow was out to get you. The huge chandelier hanging on the ceiling (which was off at the moment) reflected the auburn sunlight off of its countless faceted glass shards, casting an innumerable myriad of indiscernible shapes along the polished marble walls. The flickering lamps, the collage of the deep orange shards of light and the sunset's glow coupled with our given situation gave the atmosphere around us a peculiar charge – it wasn't oppressing, exactly, but it's hard to explain.

Sora cut right to the chase. "Okay, guys. There's something you've been keeping from me, and I want to know the details." He crossed his arms. "I can guess that it's not easy to talk about, but I need to know the truth."

It was silent for several heartbeats. Then Terra spoke.

"Sora," he began tentatively. "We have no idea how you're gonna take what we're about to tell you…I'm not sure if this is the right time."

"I don't care. You have to tell me. And besides," he added. "I already know the gist of it, so you might as well get it over with."

Everyone looked shocked. Even I could feel the astonishment on my face. I couldn't believe he was plunging into the conversation so directly.

"You…you're not serious…right, Sora?" Riku managed to get out.

I tried to tell him with my eyes that this was _not _a good way to start the conversation, but he completely ignored me.

"Oh, I'm dead serious." His intense stare bored into our eyes. "And if you're too much of a coward to start into it, then I will."

Aqua covered her face in horror. Axel crossed his arms and looked down at the intricately patterned floor with a darkened expression. Riku clenched his fists and turned away, gritting his teeth. The color completely drained from Ven's face, displaying an expression I could only describe as numb resignation. My pulse jumped as Sora spoke the words I dreaded to hear.

Turning directly to Ven, his words dropped like stone: "You tried to kill me, didn't you?"

* * *

><p>"Hey, come on, don't blame yourself for that! It wasn't your fault!" Sora protested.<p>

Surprising how quickly conversations can change direction when Sora is involved. Most of the conversation had gone…well not smoothly, but it didn't exactly cause any major problems.

When we got to telling Sora that he had retrograde amnesia at one point, he (to my surprise) didn't explode. He came very close, but managed not to snap. It was really amazing, what with both of us (and Ven, for that matter) having bad experiences with memory loss before, especially in Sora's case. Sure, forgetting your friend is awful, but having that memory replaced with that of a person you've never met before – and knowing of it afterward – is just _depressing_. Sora had risked his life to protect Naminè – who was someone he thought he knew but had never met before at that point – and once he found out, one would think, he would get really upset and yell at her for that (I mean, who wouldn't, right?) but that's just not the way Sora is. Well, he did feel a little upset at what she did (because if he didn't he's seriously not human) but he forgave her readily without much fuss. And after all _that_, he had to get his memories back to normal, which meant forgetting everything that had happened while he was searching for Naminè.

Talk about one-package-double-serving memory loss.

Ven was still stubbornly clinging to the belief that he was the one that started this whole mess. I don't blame him for thinking that way, but that kind of thinking wasn't going to get us anywhere.

"Will you stop saying that already?" Ven cried. "It _is_ my fault! I'm so _sick_ of being told that it's not!"

"It isn't, Ven! How many times do I have to tell you that? He could have come at any time!"

I had to step in before I popped a vein. "Uh, guys –"

Terra beat me to it. "That's enough, you two," he said sharply. "Arguing about who's at fault will get us nowhere. What Sora told us is of the upmost importance. That was everything, wasn't it?" He turned to Sora for affirmation.

He frowned. "Umm, I think so…" Then his eyes lit up. "Oh, wait, there was something else."

"What was it?"

"Uhhh, let's see…" He furrowed his brow in concentration. "I heard a voice say something…it said, 'Pretty soon, you will be divided along my planned faults. You'll thank me later.'" He shrugged helplessly. "I have no idea what it means, though."

The room became eerily quiet. You could have heard a pin drop on the top turret.

"What could that possibly mean?" Riku mused.

Axel shrugged. "Whatever it is, it can't be good. Being divided along faults? Not good at all."

"Did you recognize the voice, Sora?" Terra asked.

Sora nodded. "Yeah. It was Vanitas."

"No question?"

"There's no way I'd mistake that voice. I couldn't forget it if I tried."

Terra started pacing back and forth restlessly, muttering to himself. When he finally looked up he said, "Obviously Vanitas has something planned in that statement. We should think about what he means by that. 'Divided along planned faults'… Could it mean he's trying to separate us?"

"But, Terra, that makes no sense. Even if we did get separated, we could find our way back here." Riku explained. "And besides, why would he want to do that in the first place? Is there something he can't accomplish if we are together? I mean, even if we were all scattered all over the place, some of us can at least stop him …right?"

"He has a point, Terra," agreed Aqua. "And I've got to say that Riku made a valid statement there. But still…" She trailed off. "If he really is trying to separate us, I'm worried about how and why he wants to do something like that."

As they were talking, something painful was going on inside my head. Vanitas wanted to separate us, but separate who from who? And why? If only we knew what he was up to…

"Roxas? You okay?"

Axel's voice pulled me out of my abstraction. "Uh…sorry, what?"

"You've been really quiet this whole time," Sora supplied after seeing my bewildered expression. "Is there something on your mind? You seemed to be deep in thought."

I hesitated at first. What could I say to them? If I told them what I had concluded, they would never let Sora out of their sight. They would hold him back and be obsessively overprotective like they had been with Ven, and Sora would never forgive me because he hates being on the sidelines. On the other hand, I couldn't _not_ tell them. It made no sense situation-wise. If I didn't say anything, Sora would be in even more danger, and Vanitas's plan – whatever it was – would come to fruition. I made my decision.

"Well, the thing is," I began, and everyone quietly listened. "What Riku had said got me thinking. Could there be something he was trying to prevent us from doing in order for his plan to succeed, whatever it is? Maybe there is a key component to his plan that can be prevented with our cooperation. Maybe that's why he wants to isolate us from one another.

"Then I looked back on everything that had happened to us so far starting with Ven running away. Isn't it strange that most of the things that had happened had been aimed at Sora? I got kidnapped and Ven was possessed, but those were just him attempting to get an edge over Sora and put him out of commission. I just thought it was safe to assume that whatever Vanitas is planning, he was trying to get Sora to kick the bucket, because in some way – I have no clue what – he seems to think that he's crucial in stopping his plans."

When I finished, no one said a word. I scratched my head in regret. I knew I shouldn't have said anything.

"Sorry guys…I, um –"

Axel held up a hand. "No worries, buddy."

I stared at them, dumbstruck. "What are you – ?"

"Personally, I think we're better off assuming the worst if it's from Vanitas. You have no idea what he's gonna do next, anyway," Riku said.

"And besides," said Axel, winking at me. "You showed Terra up really well."

"What?" I searched the room to realize that Terra had gone missing. I blushed. "Oh."

"Hey, no worries. You did great. They don't call you the smarter half for nothing, right?"

I glanced back at Sora, who was pouting with a sour expression. I said quickly, "Um, well, I'm not that much smarter than –"

But my words came too late as he strode out of the room out of earshot. The rest of them followed. I glanced back at Sora. His face kept the pout, but it had become more exaggerated. A smile tugged at the edge of my lips.

I walked over to him. "Sorry you heard that," I apologized playfully.

"Nah, it's all right." His scowl smoothed into a grin. "It's true, anyway."

"Hey, you're plenty smart. You just…don't show it all the time."

"Oh, thanks a lot."

"Don't mention it," I laughed as I avoided Sora's fist. "Come on, everyone left. We should go and catch up with them."

"Yeah."

No sooner than those words made it past his lips that the ground started to shake. It caused the flames of the lamps to dance about madly, shook the chandelier above to the point where I was afraid it was going to fall on us, and the outside light was completely obscured by something dark. The sudden tremor made me panic, and I was just about to run to the others in sheer terror when I remembered that Sora was here with me.

Except he wasn't.

I searched around wildly, looking for any sign of him. How could he disappear at such a critical hour?

When my eyes happened to slide over the door, I noticed for the first time that it was ajar. I caught a movement right on the other side heading out. It had to be him. Without waiting for the others, who were just coming down, I dashed out to the marble steps. I froze.

The outside had completely changed from just a few hours ago. The once-brilliant orange sky had been entirely veiled in a coat of black. The marble benches had shattered to the point that they were just indiscernible piles of rubble. The grass had been torn up, leaving clumps of sod lying everywhere, like someone had taken a huge vacuum and sucked them out of the ground and tossed them back onto the field. Every last tree had been torn up by the roots, snapped in two, appeared as if it came out of a sawmill, and they were all in places that made no sense: on the middle turret of the castle, dangling from a pole that had been knocked to the side so that it stood leaning, creating a bridge over a gap between the mainland and a small floating landmass. The ground was still shaking violently, and a powerful wind was blowing upward, which made no sense at all. But that wasn't what worried me the most.

One thing that was occupying my attention was the enormous black hole (the only word that made sense) in the sky. I guess that was the source of the winds. But the most disturbing thing about it was that the wind movement didn't affect our surroundings at all. The trees' (or what was left of them, anyway) leaves we're completely still despite the raging tempest. The castle's flags didn't billow. Everything that could have been moved by the wind wasn't. Even more frightening was that _I_ could feel the wind – it made my hair and my clothes billow in the gale. It was as if the wind explicitly wanted to pull me up into the gaping hole in the sky, which was a scary thought in itself.

That wasn't even the worst of it.

Sora was standing in the middle of the courtyard. He was staring up at the sky. I don't think he noticed that I was there even when I ran up to him (though half the time I was tripping and stumbling) and grabbed his arm.

"Sora!" I shouted over the roar of the wind and the shuddering earth. "Come on, let's go back in! It's not safe here!"

For several terrifying seconds I thought he hadn't heard me. Then he slowly turned towards me. The expression on his face was the most frightening thing I had witnessed that evening. It was distant, almost longing, but strangely blank.

"_Don't run._" His words were flat and imposing. It was as if Sora wasn't the one speaking. He turned back to the cavernous hole in the sky and wouldn't look away. "_The answers we need are beyond that darkness._"

"What are you saying?" I cried frantically, which showed how addled I was. I had forgotten that Sora probably wasn't even conscious. "That primordial vacuum looks ready to swallow everything not attached to the ground!"

"_Conquer the fear. The abyss before you may be your division, but the only road to peace._"

I just stood there in shock. My arms dropped.

"_Take heart, for this harrowing venture will not be in vain. It is not all what it seems. The calm in your struggle lies in the full understanding and union of the true and crooked hearts._"

The last word echoed into the blackness. As it did, Sora suddenly swayed on his feet. I was too immobilized by shock to help him, but I didn't need to. He caught himself by bracing his right foot in front of him. He put his hand to his forehead, grimacing. At that exact same moment, the ground stopped shaking, but the wind still wouldn't quit.

My breath caught in my throat.

Sora shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. "Ugh, my head… Man, that was weird."

I only stared.

Sora just seemed to realize what situation he was in. He looked around in confusion. "What the – how did I get outside?"

"Quit messing around, Sora! We're about to be sucked into a giant vacuum and you were blabbing something about true and crooked hearts!" I said in an exasperated tone.

"I did?"

That pulled me up short. "You…you don't remember saying that? It was just a moment ago!"

He shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Roxas."

I was going crazy. Apparently Sora hadn't been the one talking. That took a minute for me to absorb. If it wasn't him, then…

"What is _that_?" He tilted his head back and gaped at the huge hole above us.

"That thing was above our heads when the earthquake hit!"

"What earthquake?"

This was ridiculous. I grabbed his arm again and yanked him towards me. "Do you have _any_ idea what's going on?" I hissed.

"Uh, no." He gave me a questioning look. "Should I?"

Exasperated, I quickly explained what had taken place.

When I finished, realization rearranged his facial features. "Oh, so that's what had been happening. The last thing I remember was you saying we need to meet up with the others. Then the next thing I know I'm standing outside in the middle of a mockery of an apocalypse. That's really weird though. I was spouting something as mysterious as that…"

I cut him off. "Sorry to break into your reverie, Sora, but we're about to get sucked up to who knows where! Do us all a favor and let's try to keep both feet on the ground!"

He can be so dense sometimes.

The wind wouldn't let up. It was actually intensifying. It was all I could do to stay on the ground. Sora had grabbed onto a pole to brace himself. My thoughts wandered back to the words that had been spoken through Sora. 'The answer we need is beyond the darkness'? What could that have meant? The solution to our problem? The way to beat Vanitas and end his plan, whatever what it was?

I've been so immersed in my own thoughts I didn't notice my feet were leaving the ground until Sora shouted at me.

"Roxas! It got us!"

* * *

><p><strong>Sora<strong>

I had no idea what was going on. Huge portal in the sky? Check. Pulling us into its gaping maw? Check. Having no idea why this was happening? Circle and check.

Roxas had told me that I had said something that might foreshadow how our conflict with Vanitas might be resolved. But honestly, I had no clue what he was talking about. I mean, I'm pretty sure I'd remember it if I said something that important.

But that wasn't the most urgent matter at hand right now. I sure as heck didn't want to be sucked into a dark portal. Who knows where it goes. I didn't want to find out first-hand. Plus, it was scarily accurate to what I had heard when I was unconscious: that we would be divided by his personal faults. I didn't want to let him succeed.

I wouldn't.

"Sora! Roxas!"

I snapped out of my reverie. Everyone else was standing right below us, but they weren't getting sucked up… Why not?

"Guys!" I couldn't take any chances though, even if they weren't being sucked up by the same vacuum. "Get back inside! You'll be safe in there!"

"But we can't just leave you guys there!" Ven shouted. You're coming with us!"

"No!" Roxas cried. "Forget about us, we'll be fine! Just keep yourselves safe!"

"But Roxas –"

"Listen to him!" I couldn't believe the words coming out of my mouth, but they started pouring out with mirth. "Let us go! There's a reason it's not affecting you guys! I feel like it's something really important!"

Terra shouted up at us, "You don't know that! Who knows where you'll be taken!"

"Just trust me on this! We'll be fine! Don't look for us!"

"Why not?" Riku asked disbelievingly. "You've gone crazy! We can't let you just –"

I couldn't drag this on any longer. I hate to admit it, but it was hopeless. We couldn't get back down. We would be swallowed by the giant whirlpool of darkness, but then what? What would happen to us? Would it take us somewhere? Or leave us in the middle of nowhere to die? I didn't know the answers to these questions, but I did know that it would lead us to some answers. I couldn't drag my friends into this and – even though I was gonna get hell for that – I just felt that they weren't meant to be involved in whatever was going to transpire. Whatever was going to happen from this point on, only Roxas and I would know.

"Look, Riku! You of all people should trust me when I say something! I know what I'm talking about!"

Even from the long distance (we were almost to the hole by now) I could see Riku's shocked expression.

"You know it's pointless arguing with me, Riku! So let me tell you just one thing and I'll pray that you'll believe me –"

I managed to get the last words out right before the dark hole swallowed us.

"I'll definitely come back!"

* * *

><p><strong><em>I think this is the stupidest chapter I've ever written so far. It's so cheesy that I want to puke. But it works, so I'll just go with that. I was really tired when I finished writing this so please cut me some slack if it seems lazily done. Also the reason why it's a bit short ^^; I wanted to finish that day because I was taking too long.<em>**


	15. A Fraud's Wish

**_Yeah, I decided to change formats again. I'm just trying to see which one I can work with best. So please bear with me and enjoy as much as you can._**

**Sora is dropped on a wasteland and Roxas is nowhere in sight. The nature of the place drains him, but luckily he runs into some friends, new and old. They tell him the reason for their location's strange qualities – it has been unnaturally dry. They believe they have the culprit.**

**The question - who is the guilty one, and whose side is he on?**

**Ch. 14 The Fraud's Wish**

**Sora**

The sun's searing rays beat mercilessly on his exposed skin. His throat was parched and his face was sticky in perspiration. His legs felt like they were on fire, and he could feel no strength in his body as the heat sapped it away. He kept seeing random figures above him, calling out to him, beckoning him closer, but he couldn't make out their faces…

Sora shook his head in a sharp motion, reminding himself that it was another mirage induced by the waves of heat bouncing off of the cracked earth. He'd been laying there for minutes, hours, days – he had no idea. All he knew was that he felt like he'd been cooking in the sun forever, and if he didn't start moving soon, he would die there. He fought his body's protests as he came up to a sitting position.

_I can't stay here_, he thought to himself fiercely. _I can't stay here or I'll die. Get moving, or else you're done for! Move, dammit! Move!_

With effort, he managed to stand up, but was soon swaying from sudden dizziness. He braced himself on a dead tree that happened to be nearby, and once again looked around at his geographical prison.

It was a barren wasteland. The hardened clay at his feet was cracked from lack of moisture, the taupe hue spreading over the expanse of the huge desert, only a few clumps of dead grass scattered about, breaking the endless shade of beige. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, not even a wisp. The only things up in the sky were a lone vulture soaring on the thermals and the unforgiving sun.

The sun. The sun, which was supposed to be the free source of life, seemed to want to collect its dues. It was leeching the life from him, drying him up into a husk. He couldn't keep it up for much longer if he didn't find any water, and he needed to find someone to ask for help, or else he'd never get out of this wasteland.

Roxas had not come with him when the huge dark portal dropped him in this God-forsaken ocean of land. Roxas must be elsewhere, likewise looking for a way back to him. If he was he couldn't give up on himself now. He had to get moving and at least look for some shelter. He set off at a slow walk opposite his shadow. If he started north he'd at least get somewhere.

It was on the third day that he collapsed.

* * *

><p>There he was again. The dark enigma Vanitas, who had drawn both him and Roxas into his personal death trap. He was teasing him, how he wasn't able to fend for himself, how his friends will never find him, how it was hopeless for them, for his plan was soon to come to fruition…<p>

"Shut up!" he yelled at him. "You just wait and see. I'll get out of here _and _I'll stop you!"

Vanitas laughed with mirth, obviously enjoying the sight of his predicament. Sora glared at him with pure hate burning in his eyes.

"You can't win," Vanitas taunted him. "I'm really close now. My plans will come to life. And you, Sora, will be the first to feel its agony! You never stood a chance against me!"

"_NO!_" He charged at him, but Vanitas carelessly knocked him aside. He sprawled on the ground, his face twisted in pain. He couldn't get up, he couldn't find the energy. He saw Vanitas stride toward him leisurely, his dark Keyblade in hand, grinning madly all the while. This was it, he couldn't win. He would lose here. All because of the stupid sun.

"Don't be like that," Vanitas drawled. "Come on, get up. You're an embarrassment to yourself.

Shut up, I thought mulishly. I'm gonna die here anyway, stop wasting your time.

Apparently Vanitas had decided to walk over and start kicking him, because that's exactly what he did. Each time it connected with his back it felt like a sledgehammer had slammed it.

"Get up, already!" Vanitas kicked again. "You're boring me!"

_Go away…leave me alone…_

"Get up Sora!"

Sora's eyes snapped open. What had happened? His surroundings made no sense. There was no sky or the ever-scorching sun. It was pitch-dark, and he couldn't make anything out in the blackness. He felt cool for once, which was nice, and he was laying on something soft. For a moment, he wondered if he was dead.

"About time you woke up. I was starting to think you were dead."

He'd know that monotone voice anywhere. He sat up. "Cloud?"

A lamp flickered on next to him, faintly illuminating what appeared to be the interior of a trailer. He was on one of the beds that folded into the wall, plain white pillows, cover, and sheet. And at the crown of the bed stood Cloud, his face a mask of perpetual expressionlessness. He was standing so close that as soon as the lamp went on and revealed the tall blonde, Sora became so startled that he banged his head against the back wall. The sharp pain in the back of his head gave him the confirmation he needed to realize that he wasn't dead.

"Ow!" He rubbed his head, wincing, and glared up at Cloud. "Geez, don't do that! You gave me a heart attack!"

His face cracked into the smallest hint of a grin. "Hope you had a nice nap. You got some explaining to do."

"Explain what? There isn't –"

His words were interrupted by the slamming of the trailer door on the left wall of the trailer. Sora looked towards the door, bewildered, but Cloud made no movement. He sighed.

"Too much?" he asked quietly.

"Afraid so." A new voice spoke from the shadows. Sora flinched.

A tall figure clothed in black strode towards the bed. Sora's mouth fell open as he recognized the face of the man that now stood at the foot of the bed. A head of short-cropped hair and a trimmed beard. His eyes were an icy blue and vigilant. His earrings were the same shape as the symbol of the Nobodies.

"You!" he gasped.

"My apologies." He walked over to stand next to Cloud. "I'm afraid that we haven't been on very good first terms."

Sora didn't understand why the man looked so apologetic. The only thing on his mind was the fact that we was standing there speaking to him.

"But – but I thought – how did you –?"

The bearded man held up a hand to silence him. "One thing at a time," he said. "First of all, I assume that you are extremely thirsty. How does a cup of water sound to you? We can talk afterward."

Only then did he realize how dry his throat was. He must have had nothing to drink for days now. He nodded.

"Now then," the man said, sitting on a seat next to the bed after Sora drank enough water to quench an elephant, "let me properly introduce myself. My name is Luxord. I presume that you already know Cloud?"

"Yeah. We go a way back," he confirmed.

"I see. That simplifies things."

Cloud stood against the wall opposite Luxord, his arms crossed and his lips pursed.

"So," Luxord continued. "I expect that you have a few questions for me."

_Only about a million or two_, Sora thought to himself wryly.

"Yeah, a few."

Luxord waved a gloved hand for him to proceed.

"Well," Sora began, not sure where to start, "I'm just wondering why you're here. Still here, I mean. I never thought for a second that I'd…" he trailed off, looking down.

"A valid question. I should have expected as much. My presence before you obviously merits some curiosity as to why and how I still 'am'. I hate to disappoint you, Sora, but I am afraid I have no answers for you. We Nobodies have no right to 'be' but still 'are'. Once we are destroyed, we fade back into darkness.

"You dealt the fatal blow, Sora, and so I faded. Yet here I am again, with no idea why. I am afraid that is all the information I can give to you on that matter."

"Okay." Sora's head was spinning and it was only his first question. "Next question. How do you and Cloud know each other?"

"As you may already know, Cloud fancies himself quite the biker." Sora nodded. "It was during this outing that your friend here discovered me and a…an acquaintance of mine. We have been together ever since, partly due to the reason that there is no other place for us. Cloud willingly allowed us to stay with him."

"Oh," was all Sora could say. He didn't want to confuse himself more than he already was. Any more of that and his head would explode.

"Is that all?" Luxord asked.

"Um, no…there's one more thing I want to ask."

"Yes?"

"The 'acquaintance' you mentioned…was it the person who just left?"

Luxord shot Cloud a discreet look. Sora noticed a slight nod come from the stoic male. Luxord turned back to face Sora, his face dark.

"…Yes. He is the acquaintance I spoke of."

"Who is he? And why did he leave just like that?"

He sighed. "A troubled young man. He has had a difficult life, accepted by none but those who reside in the dark. As for why he left…he is laden with guilt for what he did to you."

"Guilt?" Sora blinked. He wasn't expecting that answer. "Why? What did he do to me? I don't even know him."

"I can assure you that although you don't, he knows who you are well enough."

"How?"

"I am certain that he'll explain it himself." Luxord turned to the trailer door where a cloaked figure now stood. "Won't you, Kyo?"

The figure stepped forward reluctantly, as if he were stepping onto a minefield. He was tall, Sora noticed. He was probably six feet tall at the least. The figure removed the hood obscuring his face next to Luxord. It revealed a head of shaggy brown hair framing dark blue eyes filled with uneasiness. His tall stature, his piercing yet fearful gaze, was so imposing, that at first Sora was at a loss for words.

"Go on, Kyo," Luxord urged the tall brunette. "Introduce yourself."

Kyo shot him a desperate look, apparently not able to believe that Luxord was making him do this.

Sora still couldn't understand why he was acting so flustered.

Until his next words. Kyo said, "I…I'm the one who sent the Heartless after you on your island."

Sora stared at him with wide eyes. "So that was you!" he exclaimed. "I was wondering where they all came from. Why'd you send them after me?"

"Now hold on," Cloud spoke up, and Sora jumped, startled. This was the first time he'd spoken through this whole exchange. "I know you're curious. Let Kyo tell his side of the story first before asking him any questions."

Sora sighed. "Fine," he grumbled. It had only been an innocent question.

* * *

><p>"Wow. What a story," Sora remarked when Kyo had finished. "No wonder then that you sent the Heartless after me."<p>

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that," Kyo said apologetically.

Sora shrugged. "It's no big deal," he said.

"What?" Kyo's eyes bugged in astonishment. "You…you don't mind?"

"What, you want me to?" Sora teased, grinning.

"Yes! I mean, no, but…I thought – I thought that you…" He seemed tongue-tied, looking quite flustered.

"No worries. I know what trying to complete yourself is like. I feel for you."

Kyo just stood there flabbergasted.

"Guess I forgot to tell you," Cloud told Kyo. "He's not that good at holding grudges. Unless he was already mad at you in the first place."

"Really though, it's nothing to be mad about. It was good practice, actually," Sora said amiably.

"No need to be speechless, Kyo," Luxord assured him.

Kyo just shook his head in disbelief. "I…I'll be outside." With that he left the trailer.

"What's his problem?" Sora asked, staring after the retreating brunette.

Luxord chuckled. "Not to worry. He can be a little hard on himself sometimes."

"Huh?"

"He was prepared to receive an onslaught of insults from you. No doubt the actual outcome left him shocked."

"Oh."

"Well, then," Luxord said. "I think that's enough for today. Let's start in on your story after we get some rest."

"My story?"

"Well, of course. There must be a reason that you were out in the desert dying of thirst. I'm sure you did not do it of your own volition."

That caught Sora off guard. "Oh…right…sure," he answered.

The lights went out as Luxord and Cloud left the trailer silently. Sora was grateful for it. He didn't want to be seen with his fists clenched and his face twisted in pity for the all-too-familiar figure that haunted his waking visions.

* * *

><p>"Back up a second, Sora," Kyo interjected, flustered. "You fought with your <em>clone<em>?"

It was the next afternoon, inside the trailer. Cloud had shaken Sora awake late in the morning and Sora now sat up against the bed. He hadn't left the bed since he had been brought here. After a not-so-filling breakfast of potato chips and juice (courtesy of Kyo who had nothing else on him and wanted to make up to Sora in some way – though Sora had tried time and again to tell him that he wasn't upset) Luxord insisted on hearing Sora's story of how he ended up in the wasteland, which Sora wasn't entirely eager to do.

Not that it really bothered him to tell them, though. What worried him was the fact that he felt that it shouldn't be told to anyone else as much as he wanted to – he felt it was strictly his business. Roxas wandering out there on his own was also a key reason for him to keep quiet. He didn't want to waste any time looking for him, but of course, when there is something you really want to do, something usually gets in the way. The worst part is, you can't always weasel yourself out of them.

This was one of those times.

"Well…not exactly," he amended. "We were really close. But the could-have-been-fight wasn't what worried me. It was what he said before all that happened. You see…"

* * *

><p>Sora fought to keep his eyes open while the dust storm whipped around him. He tried to shield his face with his arms, but the dust merely swept around his arms and pelted into his face, leaving a stinging sensation on his now-weathered cheeks. He tried to head towards where the dust storm seemed to die, but he didn't seem to be getting any closer, no matter how quickly he ran through the cloud of dust.<p>

A high, amused laugh sounded through the air. It was impossible to mistake it for anything else.

Sora looked up at the small cliff face before him, his eyes in a squint. He saw a familiar silhouette perched at the crest of the cliff.

"You again!" he choked on the dust, shocked.

Who wouldn't recognize their own voice?

"About time you noticed." The clone lounged on top of the cliff face, his legs dangling lazily off the edge. "I guess you haven't noticed yet that you are in the middle of a dust storm that I conjured."

Sora would have gasped in astonishment but managed to use all his willpower to keep his mouth shut. If he opened it even a crack he would be served dust a la choke.

"That…that was you?" he managed to get past his lips.

"Well, of course. No one else would have a reason to."

The thought that this guy was his clone revolted him. Who knew he could get this bad? Sora glared up at his double. "All right, I know it's you. Can you stop with the dust storm already? We can talk more comfortably that way, how does that sound?"

"Aw, but it was much more fun watching you suffocate," he sighed petulantly.

"Look, if I'm suffocating, you can't really get anything out of me," Sora pointed out heatedly.

"Good point," his clone noted. The dust storm settled onto the ground, leaving a dust-covered Sora standing in the shadow of the cliff to glare up at his doppelganger.

Then his clone pushed himself off the edge of the cliff. Sora's eyebrows shot up at the sight of him hurtling through the air from over a hundred feet. How was he going to survive such a fall? There was no way he could –

Just before the Sora clone hit the ground, the real Sora had to leap out of the way to avoid being crushed. He landed perfectly on his feet, straightened up, and grinned at him. Sora glared at him in spite. He hadn't realized that his clone couldn't have been _exactly_ like him. Vanitas obviously made him with extra abilities that Sora would never have.

The last time Sora had seen his duplicate was in Vanitas's underground lab. Their meeting was very brief – Sora had been unconscious for the majority of their encounter. It still puzzled Sora as to why Vanitas cloned him. He'd done nothing but irritate him so far.

It also baffled him as to why his clone had followed him all the way out here. Unless that wasn't the case.

"Man, I've been waiting for you for _ages_."

"Waiting for me?" Sora repeated, puzzled.

"Well, duh. Why else would I bother coming out here to nowhere?"

"What do you want? I'm kind of in the middle of trying to not die."

"A shame." Sora's clone summoned his Keyblade in a flash of light. Sora backed away warily. "Too bad that I'm going to end you here and now," the clone said, his eyes hard.

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. He turned away from his double. "Sorry. I don't have time for you."

"Don't you dare walk away from me!" his clone shouted, charging at Sora from behind. Sora managed to summon Ultima Weapon and block his overhead blow just in time, but his strength was waning quickly. He was strong. Much stronger than he had ever imagined he would be. Sora began to shudder under the force behind the blade, threatening to bring him to his knees.

"What…what was that for?" Sora demanded through gritted teeth. "I told you, I don't have time for you!"

"Shut up!" His clone's eyes burned with hatred, his expression that of tormented anger. "You know perfectly well why I am! You have no idea what it's like being overshadowed by someone like _you_!"

His clone leapt back, his Keyblade brandished. Sora fell to his knees, exhausted. "I couldn't take it anymore. I keep hearing about everything you did. How much better you are than I am! Vanitas said so himself! He said I'd never amount to anything like you! He called me _disposable_!"

His clone charged him again, his blade clutched in both hands, determined to stab him through the heart. Sora, wearied as he was, managed to sidestep him. He hit the dirt face-first, breathing hard. He couldn't take any more of this. On any other day he would send this wannabe packing, but three long days in the desert with no food, water, and shelter had drained him, and the searing heat didn't help matters at all. As he struggled to his knees, his clone stood over him, his Keyblade at Sora's chest. His face was an image of cold fury.

"I thought that I could overcome you by getting rid of you," he said. "I'm the one who opened that portal to drag you here. To separate you from _him_! He was always getting in the way of me finishing you off!"

_Him_? Sora's mind instantly flashed to Roxas. It didn't really occur to him that Roxas had been overprotective. Yet Sora still couldn't understand. His clone was jealous of him; he was sure…but for what?

"Watching him protect you…watching all of them protecting you! It was too much for me to handle. You're accepted by everyone around you, everyone! Not even the one who created me cares about me!" His eyes were wild and wet with tears of anger.

A sense of realization settled upon Sora. This was the reason his clone was so angry. He wanted to have friends. To be accepted. To be a part of this world just as much as Sora was.

As much as Sora wanted to deny it, it wasn't possible for his double. Only one of them had the right to be in this world, and he was on the ground staring up at his lookalike. Sora could see in the eyes of his clone that he knew – knew full well that it was impossible for him to be a part of this world. He knew, but was fighting desperately for his chance to be real anyway, even though he knew that he would fail. Sora felt a surge of pity for him.

"I'm sorry…" His quiet words caused surprise to flit in the clone's eyes. "And you're right. I don't know what it's like. I never realized…how many people I overshadowed. It never really mattered to me…because it didn't really affect me as a person, and I never thought that it would really bother anyone. Roxas…he's my Nobody." Sora's clone was frozen in stunned astonishment. "Since you're me, I think you know. I'd never actually seen him complain about how he's just my shadow, too. I know he's done it. But I'd never seen him break down in front of me, ever.

"I'll be honest with you. When I first saw you, I didn't think much of you at all. You're the third clone that people had made of me. Second, technically, since I created Roxas without even knowing. I thought Vanitas made you just to humiliate me. It never really crossed my mind that you were so upset about that. Seeing you completely lose it right in front of me…it made me realize something." Sora looked up at his double with a piercing gaze. "You Replicas…you want the same thing that everyone else wants. You want to be a part of this world. You want to belong. And I can tell that you already know that's impossible. But you're denying it."

His clone hadn't spoken the entire time. Nor had he moved. He was as still as a statue.

"You can't keep running away. You have to understand that even if you can't blend in with the world, you have a part in it. There's always a reason something exists. And besides…" Sora tightened his hold on Ultima Weapon, gritting his teeth. "You'll gain nothing by killing me. Nothing!"

Faster than a blink of an eye, Sora was on the other side of his double, frozen with his blade brandished at his side. His clone collapsed behind him.

"That…that was dirty," the clone gasped from his contorted position on the ground. Sora turned to him, sadness in his eyes, his gaze boring into that of his copy.

"I just want you to know…" Sora said softly. "That you have a place…but it's not here."

The replica was silent for a few heartbeats, his face pressed to the cracked earth. Then he gave a weak smile. "Heh…" Light began to shimmer around his wounded form. "Guess you…can't win 'em all…especially when you're a fake…" With that, his clone vanished in a flash of light.

The minute the danger passed, exhaustion had taken hold of him again. Nothing else demanded his strength any longer. He had burned through all his adrenaline and had nothing left for him to stay upright. He was out before he hit the dust.

* * *

><p>His mind was at a breaking point. Cloud, Luxord, and Kyo kept bombarding him with question after question for five days straight and Sora was on his last straw.<p>

Kyo opened his mouth – probably to pelt him with another round of questions – and Sora was about to snap at him for it because he couldn't take anymore when the trailer door slammed open and caused the four of them to look up at the door.

Sora appraised the figure now standing at the doorway of the trailer. He was tall, about Cloud's height, maybe. He had spiky black hair, which were at an angle down the back of his neck, with bangs framing each side of his otherwise young face. Sora also noticed that he was completely clothed in black: black gloves, a short-sleeved skin-tight black shirt, black leather pants with multiple straps running from his knee down, and black combat boots. Sora randomly noticed that all five of them were wearing black in the middle of the desert.

"Cloud!" he cried. "Big news! There was another huge explosion of light not two hundred kilometers away! We have to –" He paused, noticing Sora in the trailer for the first time. "Hey, who's this?"

The first impression that Sora got from this short encounter was that he was pretty excitable. Luxord interrupted his observation by clapping him on the back.

"Of course, you haven't met," said Luxord. "Sora, this is Zack. Zack, this young man is Sora. He is an acquaintance of Cloud's."

"Oh, hey!" Zack greeted him amiably, walking up to him and shaking his hand energetically. "Nice to meet ya! The name's Zack. Any friend of Mr. Gloomy here is a friend of mine!"

"Oh, um, hi." Sora couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. He had an aura about him that lightened the atmosphere. "Same here."

"What was that about the light?" Cloud cut in unexpectedly.

"Oh, yeah!" Zack let go of Sora's hand and turned to Cloud. "That's the fifth time it's happened this month. And it's always the same place each time. I'm starting to think that it might have something to do with no rain coming here since it first started appearing. One of us needs to go and check it out."

"It's that serious?" Luxord asked sharply.

"Yeah, wouldn't you think the same thing?"

"Now see here, there isn't even sufficient proof that –"

"There's plenty of proof! Ever since it started there hasn't been a drop of rain anywhere within five hundred miles of here! And the flares of light aren't random; they're in the same place every time! He's got to be behind it!"

This exchange grew more and more heated until Kyo spoke up.

"You don't think it's _him_, do you?" he asked slowly. "I mean, he's caused a lot of trouble for us so far…"

All conversation stopped at this remark. While apparently it meant something to them, Sora couldn't make heads or tails out of this at all. He looked around the circle of people, seeking answers to the situation.

When no answer was forthcoming, Sora broke the silence. "Guys, I'm completely lost here. What's this about light bombs and no rain?"

The four of them turned to him at once. "There's been something going on in the desert for weeks. We all think it's the same person," Zack explained.

"Weeks?" Sora couldn't believe his ears. "So the reason you guys have been in the middle of a dry spell for a month is because of one person? Why didn't you do something about it earlier when you first found out? You knew who he was, didn't you?"

The four of them looked at each other, silently debating whether to tell him the reason or not.

Confused and infuriated, Sora abruptly heaved himself of the bed in which he'd been confined for a whole week, startling all those present.

"Look, if no one's going to tell me, I'm going to find out myself." Sora stood up. "Keeping me in the dark isn't going to help us, anyway. I'm heading out."

"But you have no idea where to start looking!" Kyo protested indignantly.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Sora gave all of them a piercing glare. "I need to go find Roxas first."

He walked towards the trailer door without a backwards glance.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I'm sorry I took so long with this chapter! School started and all sorts of chaos ensued! It's finally here, sorry for making you wait. I hope you enjoyed it! (And for those who are wondering who Kyo is, he is an OC created by one of my friends.)<strong>_


	16. Nothing Doing Anything

_**I had so much fun writing the last chapter! I hope this one turns out as well. It's going to have some pivotal information to Vanitas's plot – because I finally figured out what it is! Hope you enjoy it! Sorry it's so short ^^;**_

**Roxas is stranded in the middle of an absolute jungle, and can't find a way out. While meandering through the sea of green, he has a close encounter with the very same culprit of the drought where Sora had been tossed to. This not-so-mysterious figure informs him of how close he was to killing a certain someone and of Vanitas's plot – finally revealed.**

**Ch. 15****: Nothing Doing Anything**

**Roxas**

"Geez, I must have passed this tree about five times today…"

Roxas stared at the thick, spongy bark of the indicator tree. It was very large – several hundred feet in circumference. The bark of the tree was a very dark shade of brown, almost black, and completely covered in scratches, dents, and other unsightly scars. The tree shot up to about three hundred feet, much taller than the trees surrounding it. The branches – about fifty feet and above – were ornamented with snaky, ropelike vines and the wide green leaves turned the little sunlight that hit the understory to a mellow shade of green.

Roxas glared at the mammoth tree in pure revulsion. There really wasn't a reason for it, but he hated this behemoth of spongy bark with every fiber of his non-existence. It wasn't the tree's fault that Roxas couldn't escape the jungle, of course, but the fact that it kept reminding him of the fact that he was hopelessly and utterly lost was too much. He wanted to fell the tree and hack it into pieces to vent his anger and forget the whole thing, but the sight of its remains would reveal his childish anger, though there would be no one around to see it. All he could do was to punch the bark repeatedly until his knuckles turned red and to mutter curses under his breath.

A bird screeched from somewhere in the canopy.

Exhausted, he fell heavily against the now severely-bruised tree and slid to the damp earth. This was the worst. It had been a whole week since he had been dropped on the springy moss all alone. The instant he realized this he had panicked and began searching for Sora immediately, despite the realization that he might be somewhere else in this jungle or a completely different place altogether. He was met with silence around every tree he looked behind. This caused a mix of dread and realization to settle upon him. One, the prediction had come true. Two, his being separated from his other half probably had some kind of purpose. Three, he was going to find something here. What he would find, exactly, he couldn't say for sure. All he knew was that it was important.

A sudden, sharp stinging sensation made him start and stare down at his left hand. What he saw caused his eyes to go wide with horror.

A spider the size of his Nobody thorn charm on his jacket was crawling off his thumb. A swollen bite was showing up on the base of his middle finger. Not good. Especially since studying arachnids hadn't exactly been his hobby.

He took a slow, deep breath to calm himself. _Okay, go over the rules_, he thought. _Don't raise the affected area, don't move or the poison will spread, keep the wound clean…_

The poison's effects suddenly flared up as if it had read his intentions of keeping the poison from spreading and sought to prove him wrong.

Roxas began feeling dizzy and feverish. His vision was becoming fuzzy and his eyes didn't want to stay open. Half of him wanted to surrender to the fiery poison so he would no longer have to feel pain, but he fought the effects of the toxin with all the feeble willpower he could muster. His eyes blazed with a mix of weary determination. He gritted his teeth.

Out of nowhere a blast of ice-cold water hit Roxas in the face, almost knocking him to the ground.

"What the – where'd that come from?" He struggled to spit out the water that he'd inadvertently swallowed.

"Hey, Roxas!" a cheery voice called from above.

_Oh, no,_ Roxas thought. _Not him…__please__ don't let it be him…_

A rustle here and there, a deafening crash, and a string of muttered cursing later, the owner of the voice stood over him. Dressed all in black with black gloves, coat, and heeled boots, sea green eyes lit up in delight topped by light brown hair styled upward into a mullet with bits of twigs and leaves stuck in it…

"…What the heck…Demyx…"

"Oh, thanks, Roxas; you remember me!"

Roxas shook his head, which made him nauseous. He hoped to Kingdom Hearts that _he_ wasn't the important thing he was supposed to find here. "Look, if you can't tell…I'm really not…in any condition to –"

Ignoring his weak complaint, Demyx knelt so he was eye-level with Roxas, then heartily slapped him on the back, which made Roxas want to hurl. "Aw, c'mon, Roxas. Is that how you greet a fellow buddy from the Organization? Harsh, man."

Roxas covered his mouth for a minute to keep from vomiting, and then retorted feebly, "I don't remember _ever_ being buddies with you…Mr. No-Achiever…"

Whenever he and Demyx were assigned a mission together, Demyx would somehow find a way to weasel himself out of work and watch as Roxas was breaking his back slicing Heartless in half. Demyx wasn't exactly his favorite Organization member.

Demyx jumped back in mock horror. "Geez, Roxas, you're harsh! C'mon, I've had a change of heart. Wanna be buddies again?"

"You don't _have_ a heart, Demyx." Roxas wanted to punch him in the face, but he couldn't find the strength at the moment. "And I told you, I'm _not_ your buddy! I never was, and I plan on keeping it that way."

The green-eyed male shook his head in artificial disappointment. "Man, I thought I'd get better reception from you. Heck, I was gonna make you an accomplice in my escapades!"

"Escapades?"

"Dude, it's the absolute _bomb_!" he exploded with relish. "You have _no_ idea how much fun I have! Once, I blew up all the toilets in Twilight Town –"

"That was _you_? You have no idea how much the damage cost me –"

"It gets even better!" he gushed on. "The next day I flooded this one hippie's house because he stole my mullet –"

"What the heck is a hippie?"

"Oh, and this is the best thing I ever did! Just last week I drained all the water in this desert place not far from here to make a certain spiky brunette die of thirst!" Here Demyx paused and shook his head. "Sad part is, it didn't work."

"A certain brunette…?" Roxas's mouth opened wide in horror. "You mean you tried to kill So–?"

"I _tried_ to, Roxas. It didn't work." There was a trace of irritation in his tone and he rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I'll get him one of these days, I'll get him –"

"But why would you want to –"

"Don't make me laugh, Roxas," Demyx interrupted him scathingly. His eyes hardened the tiniest bit, but Demyx could never truly appear frightening. "Why do you think I want to kill Sora? He killed me! He said I couldn't fight! He called me a _kook_!"

_Aha_, Roxas thought. That's why. Demyx was certainly childish enough to do such a thing. And Sora made enough enemies so that it was bound to happen. Then a sudden thought struck him.

"Um, you're not working with anyone extremely evil and a little on the insane side with your arch-nemesis' face, are you?"

"Vanitas?" Roxas blinked. Demyx had dropped that name like it was stone. "Please. I'd rather die again than work with that Sora look-alike. He said my hair was stupid! Plus he has a clone of Sora too. One Sora is hard enough to deal with."

Roxas vaguely wondered how Demyx knew so much.

"Of course, I didn't count on you being _friends_ with him," Demyx went on, pouting. "You used to hate him so I thought you'd help me." He crossed his arms with a huff. "Guess not. I thought maybe doing you a favor would win you over!"

"_Favor_?" Roxas spat the word like it was a curse. "You never do any favors for me –"

"Of course I do! I did half an hour ago! Haven't you noticed that you're feeling better?"

Only then did Roxas realize that his arms were no longer heavy, his vision no longer blurry, and his head no longer pounding. It took him a few moments to ponder this. Slowly, he lifted his left hand and stared at the place he'd been bitten. He even flipped over to his palm, though he was sure that he'd been bitten on the back of his hand. There wasn't even a scar.

At this Roxas abruptly jumped up and quickly backed into the spongy black tree, the sudden movement startling Demyx so much he tumbled backward onto a relatively sharp rock.

"Owww!" Demyx sat up, wincing, rubbing his back. "Geez, is that the thanks you give me after I helped you? How ungrateful can you get, Roxas?"

But Roxas didn't care how ungrateful he was.

"How – how did – since when –?" Roxas sputtered incoherently.

"My water, of course!" the wheat-haired male proclaimed proudly. "I splashed you with it earlier, don't you remember?"

Roxas crossed his arms impatiently. He was sure that Demyx was messing with him again. Plus, he wouldn't exactly call that _splashed_. But he saw nothing but innocent truth in the sea green orbs.

"You…you were never able to do anything like that before…I didn't know you could..."

"I didn't either, to be honest. I just found out about it myself. Not that it matters how I got those powers, 'cause it's a _heck_ of a lot useful!"

Despite his initial shock, Roxas rolled his eyes at this exclamation. This was Demyx being, well, Demyx.

He turned away from the cloaked man and did a double take as he spoke. "Okay, thanks for that and everything, but I gotta get out of here and you talking to me isn't helping one bit –"

"You didn't even ask for help in the first place," Demyx chided, wagging his finger playfully back and forth. "You ask for help when you need it. You ought to know that, Roxas."

Roxas flushed a bright pink. "I don't need help from someone like you!" he snapped, feeling self-conscious.

"Oh, _sure_ you don't!" teased Demyx. Then he crossed his arms, putting on an exaggerated serious expression. "Okay look, if you're not gonna help me kill Sora, at least get rid of those two lookalikes. I'll even give you handy tips for that, _and _get you out of here. There are only so many Soras I can take. But you guys are gonna have to do the killing. I'm not gonna help."

Roxas was taken aback, not sure how to respond. Demyx was offering to help him in killing Vanitas and the Sora clone, as well as helping him out of the jungle. It was a tempting offer, but he hesitated. He didn't trust him very much.

Demyx seemed to read the skepticism in his eyes and said, "Come on, Roxas. You can trust me on this one. Why would I be joking about killing Sora lookalikes anyway? You know how much I hate the real deal. Though I can't really hate. And besides, you're gonna die out here if you don't leave."

For once, he had a point.

"…All right, fine. But I'm warning you," Roxas added with a glare that made even the cheery Demyx quail. "You try any funny stuff, and you're history."

Demyx held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, I cross my non-heart that I won't maim you horribly. Can we get started or what?"

"Tell me how I can stop Vanitas and his Sora clone first."

"Geez, aren't you a bit demanding."

"Just get on with it."

"Okay, okay, sheesh. You were never this stuffy before," Demyx grumbled. "Okay, here's the deal. You know that Vanitas was to take over the world and all that good stuff, am I right?"

Roxas nodded impatiently.

"So here's the gist – he didn't make the Sora clone just to tick Sora off. That clone was a prototype – you know, a test. To see if the whole cloning thing worked. 'Course, you already know the answer to that. Flawless. So now he's going around trying to bring back the bad guys via cloning, and even I know the world is gonna surrender to something like that – an army of super-evil baddies that Sora had to break his back killing. Each of those baddies will be set over the worlds, and they'll all answer to Vanitas. Complete takeover.

"So right now he's getting all the data he needs to make the clones. It won't be long until he's finished with everything and the whole world is in his palms," he finished.

For a moment, Roxas couldn't process the information flying at him, struggling to put the pieces together. Before managing to collect his thoughts he asked tentatively, "Well, how is Vanitas going to make these…these clones to do as he says? They'll want to take over themselves…won't they?"

"Heck if I know. Knowing him, though, he'll find a way around that."

Roxas felt sick to his stomach. An army of dark clones under Vanitas's command? A ghost of a hopeful thought entered his mind, wondering how, exactly, Vanitas was going to do this. This couldn't be possible, not even someone of his caliber…

He paled as a new possibility shattered that mirage of hope: those pods in the underground lab. That was what they have been made for. To build an army of darkness. To take over the world. To swallow it in darkness for eternity. As cliché as it sounded, it was still gut-wrenching to think about. He'd rather disappear again, live in the sewer system of Twilight Town, or heck – or even live with Demyx – than let that happen.

It was only expected of Vanitas. A being of pure darkness would want nothing different.

But why?

That question spun in answerless circles in his mind. _Why?_ Why would he want to do something like that? There really wasn't anything for him once he claimed the world. What did he hope to accomplish with such a horrific act? Vaguely he recalled the words Sora (or whatever it had been) had spoken at the mouth of the void: "_The calm in your struggle lies in the full understanding and union of the true and crooked hearts._" He had a feeling that the line held clues as to how they were to stop Vanitas from achieving his heinous goal, but didn't have the slightest idea what they might be. If only –

"Yo, Earth to Roxas! You still with me, man? Roxas?" Demyx was poking him on the shoulder repeatedly to get his attention. Roxas, who was on his last tethers and about to pop a vein, fought the urge to punch him in the face and roughly shoved his hand away.

"Quit it, I'm trying to think!" he snapped, exasperated.

"Love to, really," Demyx replied. "But you're not gonna get anywhere if you're thinking in this death trap, 'specially since it's getting dark. Because if you die here, Vanitas doesn't die, and I'll stay mad. Just saying."

At these words, Roxas looked up. Demyx had been speaking the truth; the sun had almost completely gone down. He'd been thinking for most of the day without even realizing it.

He sighed. "Okay, fine, then. Get me out of here."

Demyx gave him a mock salute. "Yes sir." Then Demyx proceeded to open up a Corridor of Darkness, and the sight of it made Roxas want to punch the tree again. He'd completely forgotten about using the corridor. He felt like such an idiot that he didn't want to go in.

That's how it ended up.

"Thanks for reminding me, Demyx, that I could use a portal like you. If you'll excuse me, I need to go and do some confiding." With that Roxas disappeared into his own corridor, leaving Demyx standing in the woods in the pitch-blackness.

Demyx cupped his hands and called out into the darkness. "Roxas! You're seriously gonna regret ditching me! You can count on it! I'll make you wish you never not existed!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Dang, Demyx knows stuff. I wouldn't want to cross him at that moment. Anyway, I'm sorry I took so long with this chapter! (For some reason it seems I take the longest with the short chapters...) School started and all sorts of chaos ensued! _ It's finally here, sorry for making you wait. I hope you enjoyed it! And again, sorry for its shortness! I'll make it longer next chapter, I promise! <strong>_

_****UPDATE** I'm going on a hiatus on this story for now, since I'm starting a new story, but it's still in the works. Sorry, and thanks for your patience :) I'll resume as soon as I can!**_


	17. We Are Who We Are

**_Yeah, it's back, baby! I finally have some new ideas for this, my first story. And you get a new chapter! Plot twists? Maybe… :P_**

**_Honestly though, looking back on it, this story could have turned out much better than it is now (especially after last chapter…*shudder*) but I guess I could just go along with it for now._**

**Sora leaves the trailer and his friends in an attempt to find Roxas, but ends up getting completely lost (again). While he's cursing his sense of direction he stumbles across a disturbingly familiar place where he meets a disturbingly familiar figure…**

**Chapter 16: We Are Who We Are**

**Sora**

_Well_, Sora thought to himself. _That was pretty stupid of me._

Sora had stormed out of the trailer away from his friends without a second thought, with the intention of locating Roxas and getting back to his friends. He hadn't really thought about where to look, not to mention that he didn't really know the terrain all that well and that was the whole reason Cloud had found him passed out in the first place, and within ten minutes he had become completely lost again. He cursed under his breath. Just perfect, now three days ago was going to happen all over again because of his stupidity.

Not knowing what else to do, he ran straight ahead. At least he would get somewhere that way.

After a full fifteen minutes of nonstop sprinting without the slightest change in scenery the whole way, he skidded to a halt in front of a solitary gray building. It was dilapidated – from the constant dust storms, probably – the size of a toolshed, and completely out of place. It was the only manmade structure in sight. So naturally he began wondering how it had gotten here and what it was here for as any person would.

"What is this place…" he wondered aloud, staring at the rusty handle of the door. Before he realized what he was doing, he had seized the handle, jerked the door open, and stepped inside. There was a metal hatch going underground.

_Well, it's better than being dried to a husk and buried alive_, he decided. _I could find some help here._ Sora slid down the hatch.

* * *

><p>When Sora realized where he had ended up, he internally kicked himself for his impulsiveness. He'd inadvertently dropped into Vanitas's underground lab again. Who knew what Vanitas had in store for him when he learned of his presence.<p>

But then a new though struck him. This was the perfect opportunity to see what Vanitas was planning, and maybe even stop him here. Even if he didn't succeed, or if he never encountered Vanitas at all, he could always go back to his friends and tell them what he had found out. And now that he knew where Vanitas's hideout was, they could come back to this place, no problem. He was so excited with his new plan that he didn't consider the flaws, among them being that Vanitas wasn't so stupid as to let anyone infiltrate his secret lair so easily a second time and that he was just as strong as he was, not to mention that he had no idea how to actually _get back_.

Quickly he jogged down the dimly lit corridor back to the pod room, the room he'd previously been too frightened to enter. Since there was a slim possibility of Vanitas being in that room doing who knows what, he contented himself with peeking through the glass. What he saw nearly made him pass out.

The majority of the pods were no longer empty. Inside each of them, he realized in horror, were villains that he had labored to defeat in the past – there was a number of them he didn't recognize – and his heart filled with dread as he beheld this sight. Sora gave an involuntary shudder. What could Vanitas possibly be planning that involved these atrocities?

Sora looked away quickly, breathing hard. He ran through several possibilities in his head: maybe they were holograms of his past foes, created as a way to unnerve him for the task at hand, though that seemed highly unlikely. They could be clones of them remade to fight for him for whatever purpose he had in mind, which made a whole lot more sense. Either that or Vanitas was just plain demented and he'd done this just to wreak havoc in the worlds and see endless chaos, which was his favorite thing to do in the world, probably.

Without thinking, consumed by terror, he began to run – not with any particular destination in mind, just _away_ from that room of evil replicas.

When he could run no more and he came to a stop with his lungs about to burst, he had no idea where he was. He'd gotten lost in an underground maze. He was in front of another door – this one had bars on the windows. Something other than blatant curiosity compelled him to peek through the bars.

And he didn't understand what he saw.

It was a dark room; no lights were on, but the harsh illumination in the silent corridors lit up its interior. The walls were gray, but he could be wrong as the light cast elongated shadows as well. And in the back of the room, bound to chains embedded in the wall, was his clone.

He was hanging loosely on rusty iron fetters that had cut away at his bare wrists, leaving unsightly scars. He looked half-dead, much worse than when he'd last laid eyes on him, and it hadn't been too long ago. His clothes were torn and bloodied; his vest was gone and his shirt wasn't very far from becoming scraps of rags. There were cuts, bruises, and what appeared to be abrasions on nearly every inch of his exposed skin. A diluted stream of blood trickled from his mouth and wrists. A small puddle of blood issuing from his wounds accumulated at the feet of the clone, a drip of the crimson liquid of life adding to the pool every several seconds. Frankly speaking, it was like the only reason he didn't pitch head-first to the ground was the manacles that shackled him against the back wall.

Sora didn't understand why he appeared so battered. What had happened to him? Did he encounter some unforeseen problems on the way back here after being cut down by him? If so, then why was he handcuffed in a lightless room with an inch of his life? Something about this situation rubbed Sora the wrong way. It confused him, and it made him angry too – why, he had no idea.

And despite himself, Sora took pity on his counterpart. Any other person would say that he deserved this for what he had tried to do and leave him. He was an enemy, one that had tried to kill him less than a week's past, but Sora couldn't leave him like this. It didn't feel right. And he was sure that he'd feel regret for not helping him earlier later on if he just went on his way.

Making sure that the coast was clear, he used Ultima Weapon to unlock the door and stepped inside. His double stirred and cracked open his eyes when he heard the sound of his approach, and locked his glazed eyes on him as Sora closed the door behind him.

"You…" Anger and surprise mingled peculiarly in his double's words. Given his state, Sora was surprised that he had the energy to look up and face him, much less speak. "What are you…doing here…"

"What happened to you?" Sora knelt so that he would be face-to-face with his copy. "I don't understand…"

His clone lowered his head again. Spite and hope blended together in his tone when he spoke again, and Sora wondered at it. "What…do you care…I'm not…anything to you…"

"Yeah, you weren't," Sora amended. "But now you are. Now answer my question. What happened to you?"

His doppelganger eyed him in disbelief briefly, then he muttered, "He did it…"

"He who? Vanitas?"

"It was because…I couldn't…kill you that time…he also said that … he didn't…need me anymore…because I was…only a 'test'…" Anger was plain on his weary face as these words came out. "He…called me _disposable_…and left me…here to die…"

Instantly Sora backtracked to his struggle against him in the desert and his impassioned declaration. Vanitas hadn't been kidding when he'd described his replica like that…how heartless could a person get?

Right then his mind was made up.

"You're coming with me."

His other self's eyes widened, then narrowed in suspicion. "What are you…"

"No time to talk. Save your energy; you're gonna need it." Swiftly, Sora summoned Ultima Weapon and cut the shackles ensnaring his clone's wrists, then proceeded to catch him before he hit the ground, causing blood to stain his hands and arms. He cried out in pain, and Sora realized that he must have broken ribs as well. Vanitas's cruelty knew no bounds. He had been planning on letting him die, but instead of making it swift and painless, he made it long and torturous, with other severe non-fatal injuries to worsen the ordeal. Sora couldn't believe that he was the other half of _Ventus_, of all people.

"Sorry," Sora apologized, shame-faced.

His clone shook his head unperceptively. Maybe it was the lighting of the corridor outside, but he looked even paler than before, as if the color was draining from his face this very moment. "Doesn't matter…I'm…done for anyway…" He winced.

"Not on my life. Here, lean on me." Sora gingerly raised his clone's arm and slung it across his own neck, and helped him stand with his support.

"Why…"

"What?"

"Why are you helping me…?" he asked. "What's…what's the point?"

"That's a silly question. I'm helping you because I want to."

"But why?" he insisted. "I don't get it. Why would you…want to help _me_? I'm only making…things harder for you…"

"See, here's the thing," Sora elaborated. "It's not right to see a member of my family and just leave him to die. It's only natural that I don't want you to die."

"A member of your family?" He chuckled weakly. "Now I'm sure you've lost it…"

"No, I'm still sane. You're my flesh and blood. Literally. So there shouldn't be anything wrong with me calling you family." He hefted his twin's body carefully, then narrowed his eyes. "Now, there's gotta be a way to get you out of here without him noticing…"

A new voice sounded, "Too late."

_Damn it_, Sora thought feverishly. _Now what?_ They hadn't even left the room and they were caught.

A black portal opened in front of the door, and Vanitas himself emerged. His amber eyes glared at the two Keyblade warriors with contempt.

"Well, well, well…Sora, how nice of you to drop by. I see you found your defective little copy. Pray tell, how did you find this place?"

"That's none of your business," Sora answered scathingly. He had no desire to bandy words with him. He would've liked to punch him, but that meant he would have to drop his other self, and he couldn't have that. He was as injured as it was.

"If it's all the same to you…where do you think you're going with that?" Sora could've sworn he heard a trace of panic in his voice…or was he mistaken?

"Don't treat him like an object! I'm taking him with me, and you're not stopping me."

"I beg to differ. Unfortunately for you, I can't let that happen." Vanitas called forth his dark Keyblade in a flash of purple flames. "We can't have two troublesome Keyblade masters running around, now can we? It would put a serious hurt in my fun. Not to mention it's a hopeless cause, trying to save that clone. He'll be dead within days, far sooner than you can find help. You're as naïve as they come."

"That's enough!" Sora broke in harshly, buckling for a moment under his clone's dead weight. "He might be a clone, but at least he can move and think for himself! He's a human being, and that gives you no right to treat him like he has no identity!"

Sora heard a sharp intake of breath issue from the mouth of his counterpart, but he was too riled up at Vanitas to heed it.

"On the contrary," Vanitas replied. "That's only a replica of you that I made in hopes that it would get you out of my hair. I'd hope that its hatred for you would help it prevail, but I guess it wasn't strong enough to handle you, the original. Since he failed miserably in that department, there isn't any reason for me to keep it around. Like any object, he's disposable. I could always replace that defect with another, improved copy."

Sora grinned, which confused and enraged the dark enigma. "What are you laughing at?"

"I pity you, Vanitas. Honestly, do you think it will be that easy for you to just up and make an army of me? Believe me, I've seen people try. Each and every time they failed. What makes you think that you'll be the first to succeed?" Sora fixed his lookalike's eyes with a piercing glare, his voice rising. "I guess it's what happens when I'm too desirable for my own good, doesn't it? Hate to break it to you, but I'm not the only solution to your problems! Maybe if you were a bit more original, then just maybe you'll stand a chance to succeed in that crazy plan of yours! You really think cloning me over and over again until you eventually succeed in creating a mindless puppet will ever satisfy your desires? Replicating my abilities doesn't mean you'll get full use of them. Not only that, you're just a cruel monster! You gave him the precious gift of life, and now you're trying to take it back without a second thought since he isn't of any use to you! And you have no qualms about repeating the process until you get what you want! You're hideous. You've been like this from the very start. I guess it's the disadvantage of only having darkness in your heart. You don't know true satisfaction, and you never will. So just go back where you came from!"

Vanitas's eyes burned with rage. Sora could tell he had hit a soft spot with his words. "You dare –"

"Yeah, I dare. There is a reason why beings like you are few and far between, and I don't think I need to explain that to you." Reckless as he was probably acting at the moment, he couldn't deny a sense of satisfaction at letting loose his emotions at the one person who had caused him and his friends such grief.

"You…you'll pay…you'll pay for saying that!" Vanitas suddenly began emanating a dark aura from which strange blue creatures darted out and toward him. Unversed, Ven had called them. Monsters borne from the negative emotions in Vanitas's body. Sora was defenseless, and there was no way to escape unscathed–

"Hold my hand…" his clone suddenly breathed into his left ear, making him jump.

"What –"

"No time for questions…just take my hand…unless…you want to die here…"

Puzzled, but deciding that he'd rather not become Vanitas's negative spawns' lunch, he complied. His warm hand closed around his clone's cold, bloodstained ones, and almost instantly he felt a strange weightlessness take hold of him, and his surroundings were obscured by blinding rays of light. The last thing he remembered was Vanitas cursing him in his fit of rage and frustration as he eluded him, and everything faded into white then blinked into black.

* * *

><p>When Sora opened his eyes, he couldn't make sense of where he was or what had happened to him at first. His eyes were too bleary to focus on his surroundings for a moment before it cleared. He was laying on something soft and damp; it smelled like rain-wetted dirt. There was no sunlight, but he could tell that it wasn't yet nightfall. He saw the roots of gargantuan trees, and realized that he must be in a jungle of sorts. He made to push himself up, but something cold and heavy was pressing down on him. Suddenly the enormity of the situation struck him like a bolt of lightning and everything came back to him. Quickly but carefully he eased himself from underneath his other self, sat up, and flipped him over as gently as he could.<p>

Sora blanched. He was still conscious, thank God, but he was alabaster pale, and his skin was ice-cold to the touch. Whatever he'd done to get the two of them out of harm's way, it had taken more energy than he could spare. His breathing was ragged now, as if he was only minutes from expiring.

"H-hey, are you all right?" Sora asked him desperately.

"Does…it matter…?" he mumbled, his eyes half-closed. "I was…doomed from the start…"

"Don't say that! I don't know what you did but it took more energy than you can handle. You're not dying on me; not if I can help it." He removed his vest even as he spoke. "Here, this'll keep you warm for the time being." Carefully, he lifted his duplicate and worked his limp arms through the sleeves, and then zipped it tightly. All the while he felt his clone's gaze boring into him, but did not regard it as strange.

"Confused?" Sora asked his double as he pulled him up to a standing position. "You're still wondering why I'm trying so hard to keep you alive, is that it?"

Not a word came from his other self. Sora took that as a silent confirmation.

"I guess I'm not that surprised. So I'll tell you why I don't want you to die." He started walking down a worn path, staring straight ahead. "Like I told Vanitas earlier, you're a human being, and you have every right to live your own life. I know back when we fought…I told you that you don't belong. But that was only because I didn't really understand. Today changed all that. When I saw you in that room beaten half to death covered in your own blood, I realized that since you bleed like me, get injured like me, and you _feel_ that pain, you're a living, breathing, sentient being; not just someone's mockery of me. If you were something other than a person, you wouldn't feel the pain of your injuries, and even if you could, you wouldn't really care. You're telling me that you're doomed to die since you were never supposed to be alive, but so what? No matter what you say about never being allowed to live in the same world as I do, the fact of the matter is that you are alive right now, regardless of whether you were supposed to be or not, and wasting an opportunity to live your own life when you get the chance just doesn't feel right to me at all. Even if you were never supposed to be alive – since you are, why not get a chance to experience it? You're a clone, sure. You're me in all but name, but it doesn't really matter to me. You're you. That's what I think. I want to give you that chance. That's why I'm helping you."

The whole time Sora talked, his clone didn't interrupt. When Sora finished explaining, he waited several more paces before he answered.

"Funny…here I was…thinking that…no one wanted me…because I'm…just a clone," he said slowly. "Now I'm hearing…the very person…who I was cloned from…saying that…it doesn't matter. Never thought it'd…ever happen…"

"You make it sound like you were made just to be hated by me." Sora chuckled despite himself. "Stop thinking that way. I'm not looking at you as me. I'm looking at you as you."

They came into a clearing, and Sora sat his double down against the biggest tree before busying himself with building a shelter for the night, as darkness was fast approaching. Living on and exploring every inch of Destiny Islands for much of his life provided him with the experience he needed in building an emergency shelter. Not only that, but he felt as if he'd been here in this very clearing sometime before. A plausible explanation was that – since he was sure he'd never been here – this was most likely the place where Roxas had been dropped. He knew Roxas wasn't stupid enough to stay in this jungle, and was sure he'd escaped to somewhere safer, maybe even back to the Land of Departure. After all, Roxas was able to use the Corridors of Darkness. He could get back to his friends with no trouble.

This left him wondering why his clone had bothered to take Roxas in the first place.

Several hours later, a one-night emergency shelter for two had been erected and a fire was burning in a makeshift coal pit. Halfway through that time period Sora had panicked when his clone's eyes had closed, but realized from his even breathing that he was only asleep. Somewhat reassured yet still uneasy, he had continued, and was now sitting on his makeshift bed next to the fire. He had moved his clone to a second bed that he'd fashioned from the wide-spanning leaves from a tree nearby. Trusting his knowledge of the plants found to help with injuries, he had harvested a good number of medicinal plants, including aloe, which he knew would at least keep the cuts from getting infected in the environment they were in. He could have used Curaga, but he refrained from doing so for several reasons. It was dangerous to waste all his magic in one spell, and he had no Ethers with which to replenish himself. It also wouldn't have been as effective as normal since he'd already used a Fire spell to start the fire. Lastly, he didn't think it would mend his other's broken ribs, in any case.

Night soon fell, and Sora banked the fire. He hoped that they both made it through the night without any incidents.

* * *

><p>A scream of pain split the night, and Sora jerked awake, already knowing the source of the cry. He immediately turned on the spot and was met with his double clutching at his chest, his breathing rapid and short. There were blots of fresh blood on the borrowed vest. Sora deduced that he'd coughed up blood, and his broken ribs had not agreed with such an action and had racked him with abdominal pain as punishment.<p>

He hurriedly rushed to his side and tried to calm him down so he wouldn't hurt himself.

"Hey, it's okay – you're gonna be fine – calm down, everything's fine – you'll be all right –"

Sora laid his hand on his sweat-beaded forehead and held him still. He felt his clone tremble underneath his palm, still gasping in pain. His breathing slowed with each word. He opened his eyes halfway, and looked up at Sora crouching over him in concern. Then a look of relief washed over him so strongly that tears began leaking from the corners of his eyes, much to Sora's surprise. He didn't know where it came from and why, and for the life in him was utterly confused at this reaction. But then Sora decided that it didn't matter. It seemed now his clone was beginning to value his own life.

"…S-Sora…" he managed to whisper.

"Yeah, I'm here," Sora answered him in a soothing tone. "Don't worry about anything. I won't let anything happen to you. So relax. I'll be right here when you need me."

"You…you'll stay…?"

"I'm not going anywhere," Sora assured him. "You can count on it. Try to get some rest. We'll get out of here alive. I promise."

"Thank you…" Tears brimmed in his eyes for a second time. "Thank you…" His eyes closed once more, and his ragged breathing became even again.

And at his unspoken behest, Sora stayed by his side through the whole night.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Sora went about clearing the "campsite". His double was still fast asleep.<p>

As he looked up after burying the fire pit, he saw that his double was awake. He abandoned his chores for a moment as he jogged over to his side.

"Hey…you feeling any better?" Sora asked him.

His clone sat up slowly as to avoid as much pain as possible. Sora was about to make a move to stop him but let his hands fall. He gasped in pain once after he had pulled himself upright. "Better than last night, anyway…did you figure out a way to get us out of here?"

"No, I couldn't come up with anything," Sora admitted, despairing. "If only –"

_Sora!_

Sora was so startled by the mental blow that he almost fell backward with a surprised, "Whoa!"

_Sora, if you can hear me, say something!_

Sora gasped, ignoring the look of confusion on his clone's face. Speak of the devil. Roxas…it was Roxas. Somehow he had managed to use telepathy to contact him once more.

"Uh…you okay?" His double gave him a dubious look that questioned his sanity.

"Yeah…you know Roxas, right?"

He tensed. "Yeah. What about him?"

"He's talking to me."

The incredulity in his face grew even more pronounced. "You're crazy."

_Yeah, maybe_, Sora thought. _But it's the truth._

"It's just something Roxas and I can do. Since we're connected and all," Sora explained, but he looked away without answering.

Sora turned his back on him and closed his eyes, concentrating. _And yeah, Roxas. I can hear you. You couldn't have better timing. I've got a bit of a problem here._

_Yeah, couldn't have figured that one out on my own. Where are you?_

_No, dude, listen. I've got my clone with me. And he's not in such a great shape. Think you can come find us?_

_Your clone? _Roxas exclaimed in shock. _Why've you got that – _

_I'll explain later, I promise. But right now, he's got hypothermia and broken bones, not to mention more cuts and abrasions than I can count. He needs help._

_Did you do that?_

_No._

Roxas was silent for several heartbeats. Then, _…All right, fine. I hope you know what you've done._

_I'm pretty sure I know._

_Whatever. Where are you, anyway?_

_I'm right where you got dumped. I'm in a jungle. I'm sitting next to a tree with the dents of your fists in its bark. I think that's proof enough._

_How are you – _

_Hey, we're the same person. You shouldn't need to ask._

_No, not that_, he insisted. _I've been searching that jungle for nearly a week and I haven't found a trace of you! How are you there now?_

_It wasn't entirely my decision. The two of us were getting desperate. I'll explain everything once you come find us._

Sora could feel his other's irritation through their mental link, but it didn't last long. _Okay, then; I'll go and get you. I'll be there in a few minutes; I need to let everyone else know that I've found you. Get yourselves ready._ With that the connection disappeared, and Sora opened his eyes.

"He's on his way." Sora sat himself next to his clone. "How long have I been sitting there?"

"About five minutes."

"Hmm." Sora lounged about for a second, and then asked, "So, what do you wanna call yourself?"

The question caught his double off-guard. He blinked, as if making sure Sora had really said that, and then said, "What?"

"You don't have a name, far as I know. It's frustrating me since I can't call you by name. You want to build your own identity; you gotta have a name first." He stared into the bright blue eyes that were an exact copy of his. "Well?"

"I…" He looked down. "I – I don't know. I don't know who I am. I don't know what to call myself." He lifted his head again to look at Sora somewhat pleadingly. "What should I be called?"

"Well, I can't really decide that for you, but if you insist…" He rested his chin on the heel of his hand, contemplating. Then the perfect name came to him, and he raised his head and suggested, "What do you think of Ryusei?"

"Ryusei?" His clone looked puzzled. "What kind of a name is that?"

"It's a name in the language that has been dead for centuries. That's where some of my friends and I got their names. It's only right that you get a name from that same dialect." He grinned at his duplicate. "It means 'meteor'. You know – those enormous rocks that hurtle through outer space."

"You're naming me after a chunk of _space rock_?"

His clone looked so insulted that Sora laughed aloud. "No, no, I didn't mean it like that. Not the object, the concept. Just think about it. No one knows where they came from or where they'll end up. Millions of them hit the atmosphere each day, but only very few of them make it through, and even fewer are large enough to create an impact on the world. But if you don't like it, then you can come up with some other name you prefer more. It was only a suggestion; I'm not deciding a name for you. It's up to you whether you want it or not."

His clone scoffed. But then he looked down and mumbled, "It's a good name…I'll take it."

"Okay then," Sora agreed easily. "Ryusei it is."

Just then Sora heard a telltale _whoosh_, and turned to see a Corridor of Darkness appear and Roxas emerge from it. Sora was never so glad to see anyone in his life.

"Roxas! Thank God, you made it!" Sora greeted him.

"Yeah, of course." Roxas faced Sora and gave him a stern look. "I'm surprised you're not dead. I almost died here myself."

"Oh, is that right? I only managed to survive since I know a thing or two about outdoor romping."

"You ought to sound a bit more concerned about your other self, you know," Roxas said dryly.

Sora held up his hands in surrender and grinned. "Okay, sorry."

"So, where is he?" Roxas looked around, his eyes instinctively flicked toward the huge tree that he'd pummeled in his frustration. He caught sight of him slumped against it, covered in cuts and dried blood, wearing Sora's vest tightly zipped, and holding his chest.

"Wow…what happened to him?" Roxas asked Sora, his eyes wide.

"Vanitas happened," Sora said sourly. "That jerk beat him with an inch of his life and left him in a cell to die. The creep told me himself. I broke him out of there – well, actually, he did the actual escaping. He transported us here just yesterday."

"Remind me – why did you help him again?"

Sora sighed dramatically. "He asked me the same question. It wasn't easy answering him." Abruptly he became serious again, and gestured at Ryusei staring at the damp earth, studiously ignoring the two's exchange. "We can talk about everything later. He needs help right away. Let's get him back to the castle and see what we can do for him."

"Well, then; let's get going. He's not gonna get any better if he's just lying there. Hurry and get him. I can't keep up the corridor for much longer. If it's help he needs, it's help he's gonna get."

"Got it." Sora hurried over to Ryusei and helped him up. "Come on. We're going to get you some well-deserved treatment."

"Sora…hold on." Sora paused and looked at Ryusei, confused at his reluctance. "I'm not sure if this is a good idea."

"Why not?"

Ryusei seemed hesitant, almost afraid. "I'm a clone that Vanitas made of you…and on top of that I tried to kill you before…how will your friends react when they see me?"

Sora pondered this. "Hmm, that's a solid question. I'm not entirely sure, but they trust my judgment well enough. I'm sure they won't judge you too harshly after I explain everything to them. I already explained to Roxas, and he's handling you just fine."

Ryusei didn't seem so sure, but he didn't argue. "Okay then…let's go."

With that, Sora led him to the corridor. Roxas stood to the side to let them pass. As he did so, he caught the clone's eye for a brief second. He could've sworn – he looked genuinely grateful. He even said in an undertone, "…Thank you." Before they disappeared through the portal. Something did seem different about him from last time that he'd seen him. Maybe Sora was right about him.

Without delay, Roxas chased after Sora and their potential new ally before the portal closed.

* * *

><p>Sora was bombarded with exclamations of relief and gasps of shock when his friends saw him and who he had with him. They pelted him with questions nonstop until he interrupted them and said that Ryusei needed immediate medical attention. Once he was reassured by the medics that he would be in good hands, only then did he pause to explain the situation to them.<p>

"Sora, what the hell were you thinking?" Riku demanded.

"I couldn't just leave him there! He would've died!" Sora argued heatedly.

"It would have been better for all of us! There isn't enough room in this world for the both of you!"

"Listen to yourself, Riku! You've been cloned before, and you didn't care about him at first! You called him a fake! When did you start understanding and acknowledging the proper existence of your clone? That's right, it was when you killed him and you watched him die in front of you! The situation in which I found him was no different! Only this time I had enough compassion to help him live and that I wasn't the one who made him look like that in the first place!" Sora took a deep breath, and then continued in a more controlled but still angry tone, "The point is, I've brought him, he's here, and he's going to be treated fairly unless you want him to start destroying himself from the inside as well as the out. Remind yourself that he _isn't_ me, and treat him like he is himself."

The rest of the group was surprised at the firmness of his words, Riku more so than the rest. Clearly they hadn't expected this of him, but they knew better than to argue.

"Well, Sora," Aqua began. "If this is the way you feel, then we won't argue with you. We already know that we won't be able to change your mind, in any case."

Sora scratched his head bashfully. She didn't need to remind him of his single-mindedness.

"I still say it was still a rash decision," Terra inserted, "but I'm going to trust your judgment on this, Sora. We'll see whether he's truly reformed or not when he's in better condition. If it doesn't turn out in a neat fashion…then I'll have you clean up the mess." Sora flinched at the double meaning in his words.

Axel scratched his head and sighed. "Same old, same old." Then he grinned. "Let's see how this turns out. You really are something else. This is gonna be pretty interesting. Now we're gonna have twin knuckleheads."

"Oh, shut up, Axel!" Sora lashed out heatedly. "I'm not gonna stand for you calling the _both_ of us knuckleheads!"

"Yeah, you're right Sora. Your twin doesn't deserve to be called something like that. Unlike you he actually doesn't let himself be kidnapped on impulse," Ven teased him.

"Man, you guys are harsh."

"The truth hurts, Sora."

Riku remained silent through this banter. Obviously Sora's words had struck a chord within his being.

Sora noticed this, and grew concerned. "Hey, Riku –"

"I'm sorry," Riku said brusquely, turning away. "I was being insensitive. You're right. He deserves a chance to make choices for himself. I only wish that my clone had that same opportunity before I…" Riku trailed off and crossed his arms.

"Riku…" Sora looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry too…for bringing that subject up. I – I just had to make you see, and I couldn't think of anything else to say that would convince you."

"No…you had valid points. I just didn't want to listen because I was afraid that your clone would turn out the way mine did, and that you'd eventually kill him in the end, like I did." Riku sighed. "I should've known that things never work out the normal way for you."

Sora half-smiled. "You've been hanging out with me too long to not know that, Riku."

"That's true."

"Hey, Sora?" Ven interrupted their conversation. "I'm just wondering…is he" – he gestured toward the general direction of the medical wards – "going to be on our side from now on? Like, is he going to fight against Vanitas like we are?"

Sora shrugged. "That's for him to decide. If he chooses to stay with us, then it'll be a big help to our cause in the long run. If he doesn't, well…I'll take full responsibility for whatever he does."

Ven was visibly disappointed, and Sora couldn't deny that he felt the same. It would have been nice to have Ryusei work alongside them, but that wasn't for them to decide. Whatever Ryusei chose to do with himself was his business, and Sora couldn't interfere.

"Sora." This time it was Roxas who had interrupted. "Since he's going to be staying for a while recuperating…how are we going to refer to him while he's here? I mean, we can't call both of you guys by the same name; it would be too confusing."

"He already has a name," Sora said, much to the surprise of the others. "I helped him find one while we were waiting for Roxas. He's going to be called Ryusei."

"You named him Ryusei?" Ven asked.

"I didn't name him that, Ven; it's not like he's my pet or anything. I gave him the suggestion, and he decided that he liked the name. Ryusei is his name by his choosing."

"Ryusei, huh?" Ven grinned. "I'm glad he likes the name. It sounds cool."

"Glad you appreciate it."

"How did you come across him, anyway?"

"I –" Sora started to answer, but then it reminded him of a crucial fact. "Oh, right! Vanitas's underground lab! He's planning something crazy – I looked in the pod room – they aren't empty anymore; Vanitas, he's – I think Vanitas is cloning bad guys that we've defeated in the past!"

The news gave mixed reactions from the gang. Riku gasped aloud and his eyes widened in shock; Aqua covered her mouth with both of her hands and paled ever so slightly; Terra's eyes hardened a fraction and his lips twisted into a grimace; Axel bit his lip and a drop of sweat trickled down his brow; Ven's lips parted in a wordless exclamation. Roxas was the only one who didn't seem shocked by the news. It appeared that he'd feared as much, and looked devastated that his suspicions had proven true.

"But – but how is – how is that –" Riku couldn't finish his sentence.

"I don't know," Sora replied darkly. "But I saw it with my own eyes. I recognized most of them." He then turned to face the Land of Departure trio. "The ones I didn't recognize, a lot of them were probably enemies that you three have faced at some point. Either that or they're enemies unlike anything we've ever confronted."

"I was afraid of this…" Roxas muttered, still pale. "I didn't want to believe it…but it's true…he really is raising an army of clones…"

Stunned, Sora turned to face his other self. "You already knew something about all this, Roxas?"

"I wish I didn't. It didn't seem possible, even for someone like Vanitas, but…" Roxas swallowed. "I should've known better…this is Vanitas we're up against."

"Wh-who told you?" Sora inquired, still rattled. "Who told you what Vanitas was planning? I'm sure he himself didn't come waltzing up to you and say that he's building an army of evil clones."

"Back in the jungle…the day I made it back, I ran into Demyx. He told me everything in exchange for us getting rid of Vanitas and Ryusei personally, since they looked like you. Because he hates you for killing him and calling him a kook."

"That guy? How did _he_ know all that?"

"Heck if I know." Roxas paused, then said slowly, "You don't seem at all surprised that Demyx is back after you killed him personally…"

"It's a long story. I met one of his compatriots in the desert where I nearly died of thirst."

"So he did tell the truth…" Roxas muttered so quietly Sora wasn't sure it was what he'd actually said.

"As distressing as this is," Aqua sighed, "we can't get worked up about it just yet. We don't know what he's going to do with those clones, or how he's going to put them to good use. All I can say is that he is being extremely rash, in my opinion."

"What makes you say that?" Axel asked.

"He's cloning these adversaries that we've subdued over the years, but who's to say how he's going to make them obey him? We received proof not ten minutes ago that even clones have their own free will."

"Speaking of which," Ven curved the conversation back to their initial topic, "how did you find him in the first place? Did you see this before or after you jail-broke him out of there?"

"Before," Sora answered him. "It was before."

"And what prompted you to save him?" Terra asked in a critical tone. "How did you find him?"

"The only reason I found Ryusei at all was because of the roomful of evil clones," Sora stated grimly. "In a rather twisted way, it was thanks to Vanitas and his accursed plan and I was able to find Ryusei and break him out. You hear me saying that there was a roomful of clones, and I'm sure that sounds really scary, but seeing it for myself terrified me more than you know. I ran as fast as I could away from there to avoid looking at those hopeless mimicries. When I stopped running, I just happened to have stopped in front of his jail cell." Pain gradually began to seep into the eyes and voice of the young Keyblade Master. "It was horrendous. He was cut and bruised on every inch of his skin that I could see, blood was dripping everywhere, and he was nearly stripped from the waist up. He was hanging from manacles attached to the back wall, and his wrists were horribly scarred because he didn't have any strength to stand on his own and he'd just hung there for who knows how long. When I managed to get inside and got to talking with him, he said that Vanitas himself caused him to look that way, because he hadn't been able to kill me, and that he was just a disposable prototype. You have no idea how mad I felt then. I couldn't believe anyone would do such a thing. When I freed him and found out the hard way that he also had broken ribs, the heartless creep confronted me himself and just confirmed what Ryusei had told me." The pain in his eyes was gradually replaced with hot anger as he continued. "Ryusei had one foot in the grave, and his own creator was the cause for it; he actually led him there intentionally. He didn't care about the life he had created, the responsibility he had toward him was completely disregarded, and he just left him in that dank room to die when he no longer had any use for him. I couldn't stand for it. That's how I found him, and that's why I freed him and brought him here. No one, not even our enemies, deserves to die like that." The volume of his voice dropped so that even Riku, who was nearest him, had to strain to catch the words. "Vanitas could have killed me there. He was about to. But Ryusei managed to get the both of us out of there nearly at the cost of his own. I owe my life to him, because he saved mine. I wanted to save his in return. It's only right."

His friends stood in shocked silence, not sure how to respond to this monologue.

"If you don't agree with my actions, then I don't blame you. Just know that that's where I stand on this matter. You guys aren't obligated to go along with my choice."

Still no one spoke. The silence was profound in the chamber in which the discussion was being held.

After a long while, Riku spoke. "Sora…what you said makes perfect sense. I can see why you wanted to help him, now even more clearly than before. Believe me when I say this; now that you've fully explained yourself we aren't going to criticize you for what you did."

"He's right, Sora," Ven piped up. "You did the right thing. Soon we'll force Vanitas to face his mistakes. We're with you all the way."

Aqua said, "I can only imagine the pain you felt in those moments, Sora. Somehow, I feel like you've done the right thing. Whatever happens from now on, I'm sure Ryusei won't forget your kindness."

"You are much more moral than I ever gave you credit for," Axel said in a light tone yet with his expression serious, "and dare I say it, it's the most moving thing you've ever told us so far. I'm all for it. I had my doubts about you, but that is about to change."

"I can't say it's the most logically-driven thing you've ever done, but there's precious little logic where you're concerned." Roxas smiled and clapped his original self on the shoulder. "If you believe that it's right, then we'll trust you."

Everyone then turned to Terra expectantly. Terra sighed in defeat and gave a weary smile. "Like I have said before, remind me not to argue with you again. It's a hopeless cause."

Sora flicked his gaze among each of his friends' faces, and he felt like the luckiest person alive.

"Thanks, you guys," he said. "I won't make you regret my decision. I promise."

Little did he realize then that his word would prove true sooner than he'd anticipated, and not in a way he expected.

* * *

><p><strong><em>And there we have it, folks; the new chapter is back with a vengeance! This chapter is a comeback to this, my first series, and I must say that it's a good one. We've got a new ally in Ryusei…probably. xD This story is quickly coming to a close, and it won't be too long before I write its final chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it, and that you will continue to read my works from here on! :)<em>**


	18. Impossible

_So sorry I took so long to update this. My original stories have kept me busy, plus I've been lazy. All right, anyway, we learn stuff today! Lots of stuff! :D Recap is as follows: Roxas got home, went back to Land of Departure, found Sora via telepathy, and discovered a shocking truth – Sora had his clone with him! Not only that, but he seemed to be in VERY bad shape, and Sora wanted to help him._

_Warning – lots of brooding and emo-ness in this chapter. This will be rectified in the next several chapters._

_Roxas finally decides to go see Sora's clone – now named Ryusei – for the first time in the five days that he'd been under their care for an important message and some disturbing revelation…_

**Chapter 17: Impossible**

**Roxas**

Four days.

That's how long it'd been since Sora had brought in the clone Ryusei for intense medical care. The extensive injuries had immediately landed him in the emergency ward, before most of them could even react at his sudden appearance alongside his twin. Since that day, four days ago, Sora had visited him nearly every waking hour he could spare (which was a lot) and every instance he was allowed (which wasn't as frequent). But it soon got to the point where he could just walk into the castle wards without having to request permission. That, Roxas assumed, took some dedication. Perhaps it was because Sora felt indebted to him saving his life, or because he was his other self, or simply because it was his nature to help people feel better. But no matter the circumstances Sora was always absent from gatherings in order to dedicate some time to the clone, since he probably thought that he would feel like a complete misfit here.

And for good reason, too.

It had been awkward enough that Sora had even mentioned his clone back then, but to hear that they'd aided each other in escaping from the reach of Ven's alter ego, not to even _mention_ the fact that the clone had nearly died doing so…it had downright floored him. He'd initially thought that Sora had lost his mind. Help an enemy because he was dying? One that tried to kill you on multiple occasions? No, thank you. Leave him to rot in the pitiful hellhole from which he'd spawned.

Of course, Sora was different. He would never let anyone die like that, not even an eternal nemesis. His actions were always justified, whether he lied, helped someone, held back, or killed. He always had a reason for doing something. So Roxas had good reason to think that he'd had a purpose for helping his duplicate, but…he wished that he could actually _understand_ some of the reasons behind his deeds. Sure, Roxas was also Sora, but that didn't mean they were _exactly_ the same. Heck, their appearances and attitudes proved it, practically polar opposites.

So, Sora had brought him back to the castle like it was something that happened normally, as if it were typical to bring in your psychotic evil clone out for your throat for treatment. Even after Sora's explanations, Roxas still held a grain of doubt in his non-heart – would this Ryusei actually turn over a new leaf and spare Sora? He was a created being after all – not natural. But then again, Roxas was basically the same. He wrestled with the wayward thoughts and emotions to try and bring them into submission, but he still couldn't rid himself of the unsettling sensation.

Maybe this was the reason Sora visited him so much – because no one else would. None of his friends were completely sure on how to take Ryusei when he first showed up, and that made for one awkward moment; for them, at least. Roxas had accepted the possibility that the clone was here to stay, presumably for a long period of time because as far as Roxas knew on this subject (which was a lot) he had nowhere left to go now.

But.

That didn't mean that Roxas had any intention of continuing to skirt around him like he was just some contagious disease the entire time he was here. He wasn't in good terms with Sora's duplicate yet, so he wanted to fix that, as scary as the notion sounded. So today, the fifth day since Ryusei'd arrived, he was determined to break this stalemate. But if it didn't work out, that was okay, too…he could use a little more time getting ready mentally.

Sora had just casually declared his intention of visiting Ryusei again today as if he was just running an errand, and Roxas decided to take this chance to avoid going alone.

"Hey, um, Sora?"

Sora glanced at him absently as he was stepping out the door of his room. "Yeah?"

"Er – is it – is it okay if I go with you?"

Sora paused, studying him in surprise. Roxas didn't blame him. He'd probably never even considered that anyone else would see his other self. Or maybe he had hoped for it to happen, but just didn't expect it to.

Sora suddenly broke into a bright grin. "Sure thing!" he said happily. "I thought you'd never ask. At least now finally Ryusei will shut up about you."

Roxas was stunned. "Ryusei's been asking about me?" he asked incredulously. "_Me_? Why?"

A curious grin and the dubious answer of "You'll see" did nothing to ease Roxas's curiosity in the slightest. "Come on, hurry. The sooner you see him, the sooner you'll find out." With that Sora turned to leave, and Roxas rushed to follow.

They walked the corridor together in silence for several minutes, until Roxas's curiosity boiled over and caused him to break it.

"So…how is he?" he asked. "Is he doing okay?"

"Much better than the medics originally thought he'd be," Sora answered without missing a beat. "They were pretty surprised that he had the energy to even talk at first. He's fine now, though."

"Oh." The next several paces had them wrapped in silence again. Then he remarked, "You know…I'm not too surprised by that."

Sora rolled his eyes like Roxas was making some kind of clever joke. "Very funny," he scoffed.

"What?" Roxas demanded, feeling self-conscious as he furiously tried to defend himself. "It's just a compliment!"

"Sure." Sora smirked.

Roxas shook his head and sighed. "Geez, what's the matter with you?"

Sora raised his hands in mock horror, like he couldn't believe he'd made such an insinuation. "There's nothing wrong with me; what are you possibly talking about? I'm perfectly normal!"

_You're anything _but _normal, _Roxas thought.

He said out loud, "Look, all I'm saying is that he's got your good constitution."

"What the heck does that even mean?"

Roxas waved his hand in dismissal and gave a mischievous grin. "Forget it. It'll be lost on you anyway."

"Hey!" Sora retorted. "I'm not _that_ stupid!"

"So I guess that means you're just a little bit stupid."

"Oh, shut up!"

Roxas wanted to laugh. Making Sora mad was so much fun. The way he scrunched up his face into an exaggerated pout was so ridiculous it was like he was a child. His outbursts were also hilarious.

Doing this also helped ease some of the anxiety that had built up in his chest as each step took him closer to the designated room. Why Ryusei wanted to see him, Roxas didn't have the faintest idea, and the thought made him nervous. Could he have done something wrong? Was he mad at Roxas for not seeing him? These answerless questions made his head spin to the point of nausea. Teasing Sora eased some of that feeling.

Their idle banter continued until they reached the emergency wards. Both quieted down as they approached Ryusei's room.

"Hold on," Sora said, all signs of teasing wiped clean from his features and replaced with worry and what seemed like slight helplessness, though he could be wrong. His tone stopped Roxas in his tracks.

"What is it?" he asked warily.

"I need to…check something before we go in," Sora replied, shifting his eyes to the door and back. "Can you wait?"

Roxas swallowed the bile that had accumulated in his throat. The sudden change in Sora's countenance unnerved him. "Um, sure."

Sora opened the door gingerly and poked his head inside. He exchanged some indiscernible words with Ryusei before pulling his head out of the doorway and looking over to him with an a dramatic roll of the eyes before peeking back in. Sora stepped inside briefly, leaving Roxas out in the hall alone as their muffled conversation continued.

Roxas wasn't sure how much time had passed since he'd been standing there feeling awkward, as his thoughts were a raging torrent of millions of questions and nonsensical concerns, but sometime later Sora leaned out of the doorway and called his name twice before Roxas noticed.

"Come on in," Sora invited when he looked up. "He's waiting for you."

* * *

><p>The room was nearly identical to the one Sora had stayed in when he'd suffered amnesia, save for the different placement of furniture and beige walls as opposed to white. He also noted the distinct lack of windows and the pungent smell of disinfectants. The light in the room was harsh, but not too blinding, thankfully.<p>

To his right on the hospital bed was Ryusei himself. He was lying flat on the reclining bed, and from what Roxas could see, his arms and half his hands were covered in bandages and dotted with cotton swabs held in place with adhesive strips. Bandages also wrapped around half his torso and both his calves. His face was sporting plain Band-Aids, a couple here and there. Only his forehead was free of any sort of gauze. There was also a brace around his chest, which Roxas understood kept the set bone from moving as it healed. In short, Ryusei looked pretty beat up, even after nearly a week in rehab. The injuries must have been worse than they had originally appeared.

While Roxas stood at the doorway feeling uncomfortable, Sora was chatting amicably with his duplicate.

"So when exactly are all these bandages coming off?" he was asking.

"Later today, they said. Though I'm not sure I believe them," his clone answered, looking pretty peeved. It startled Roxas to realize how similar they sounded; it sounded like Sora was talking to himself…which he technically was. "I don't know how much longer I can take this. The bandages are so stiff I'm not sure if I'll be able to move later if I wanted to."

"Yeah, it sucks, doesn't it? It's hard to get used to staying in the hospital for so long."

"Well, you've had a month to try," Ryusei answered him, making a face. It was difficult by all the gauze. "Looks like you didn't manage that very well."

"Haha, nope, you're not springing that on me today," Sora replied cheerfully, crossing his arms to make an X. "Don't forget; you've got a new visitor today."

"Yeah, I know," Ryusei said, rolling his eyes. "I noticed." He suddenly eyed Roxas with a critical light. "So…you're Roxas, right?"

Roxas nodded without a word. He tried not to fidget as he stepped closer until he reached the foot of the bed.

"Um…Sora said that you've been, um, asking about me," Roxas said, feeling like a complete airhead. _Nice job, idiot. Is that the best you can do?_

"Yeah, I thought he would," Ryusei confirmed, shooting Sora a dirty look. Sora was observing the back wall intently with a playful grin stretching across his face. "Well, at any rate, I think this is the first time we've actually spoken face-to-face…on good terms, anyway."

"Y-yeah…" Roxas remembered his last meeting with him, which had also been the first – down in Vanitas's underground lab. "I guess it is."

Sora stood. "Hold on, you guys. Let me raise the bed so it's easier for you to talk."

He made his way over to what would've been the crown of the bed, bent down, pressed a button, and held it. The top half of the bed started to incline slowly, so that eventually Ryusei was in a sitting position. Well, not exactly sitting, but he at least wouldn't strain his neck to look up at Roxas.

He turned his gaze toward the brunette, who was just sitting down again. "Thanks, Sora."

Sora gave him a thumbs-up.

Ryusei now stared down at his bandaged hands. Roxas realized with a jolt that Ryusei was probably just as uncomfortable as he was. He was a manmade being, after all, the creation of _Vanitas_ of all people, and probably not all that well-versed with human etiquette and whatnot.

"Listen…I was hoping to be able to talk with you for a while now, so I could…um, well…" Ryusei's facial expression crumpled, like he was trying to find the right words. "To, uh…you know…" He cleared his throat and his next words came out strangled and alienated, like he'd never uttered them before. "In order to…apologize. I – I'm sorry." Ryusei expelled a gusty sigh, apparently relieved to have gotten the words out. He looked like he'd been choking on something and had managed to cough it out.

Roxas didn't process what his other self's replica had said. "You…what? You're sorry?"

"Well…yeah. I didn't think it'd be so hard to say a couple words, though…man, was it hard." Ryusei scratched his head, moving stiffly due to the tight bandages, looking downright embarrassed. His face was redder that a summer-ripened tomato.

Roxas was still confused. "What are you sorry for?"

Probably a stupid question. Roxas should've known very well what the replica's apology was for. It just hadn't really registered with him, and he hadn't exactly expected this. Well, he hadn't really known what to expect, to be frank, but it certainly hadn't been this.

"Um…for a lot of things, actually," Ryusei confessed. "I don't even know where to start. I mean…I'm sure I made your lives pretty miserable time and again, right?"

Roxas didn't know how to reply to that.

"I wanted to tell all of you at once," he went on, looking more and more flustered as he tried to get the words out as quickly as he could, "but I thought it'd be too awkward, so I wanted a third-party representative to take the message to everyone else. In other words, I wanted to tell you first. So, uh, I'd appreciate it if you'd pass that on to the others. And…"

Ryusei suddenly looked like he was about to get an ulcer. Roxas wondered what was wrong this time. He glanced over at Sora, who was watching the whole thing with his amused grin still in place, like he was enjoying what he was seeing.

"And?" Roxas prompted, turning back to Ryusei.

Ryusei opened his mouth, but no sounds came out. He tried again, this time lifting his hands halfway and dropping them in a defeated shrug. "I –" He shot a desperate look in Sora's direction. All Sora did was put his arms behind his head and lean back, his mischievous smile continuing to light up his features.

"Go on, say it," he encouraged, laughter in his tone. "He won't bite, I promise."

"Easy for you to say…" Ryusei muttered under his breath. His face looked so hot now that it would've been possible to fry an egg on it. "You're not the one doing this."

"Hey, it's perfectly normal for people to say it to each other. You're gonna stay here a while whether you like it or not, so you need to learn. You can't keep to yourself forever, you know."

"I know that!" Ryusei winced as he clenched his bandaged hands into fists, but he didn't loosen his fingers. He glared down at them, with a mix of exasperation and fear. "It's just – just so _hard_!" He slammed his balled fists onto the stiff mattress. If he had felt any kind of pain through that motion, he didn't show it. "Why does it have to be so hard?" Fresh tears of frustration streaked down Ryusei's pale cheeks, forming blots on the bedsheet. Ryusei wiped them away with the heel of his hand, and stared at the tear-smudged wrap in confusion.

"What is this," he muttered. "Why is my face wet? Why are my eyes so sore…Is there something wrong with me?"

What would probably have been a heart-wrenching jolt shot through Roxas's chest as he heard those words. It sounded like he'd never shed tears before…ever. He didn't have the faintest clue what crying was, or why it happened. Roxas had never felt so sorry for anyone with a heart, unlike him, that was devoid of such innate knowledge before. He'd just taken it for granted up until now, but seeing this…

"Here." Sora's voice cut in unexpectedly as he took a tissue from the bedside table and wiped away the stains on Ryusei's cheeks. He wasn't laughing anymore. "Don't worry. There's nothing wrong with you. You're just crying."

The maimed clone raised his tear-stained face to stare at his original. "Crying? That's what I'm doing?" He stared down at his bedsheet once more, then placed a hand on the brace around his chest. "I…I've never cried before…so this is what it's like…"

Roxas felt a surge of pity. So he really _hadn't_ cried before now, never felt anything like it. What must life have been like for him, a being with a heart, unable to express or understand such a typical emotion…

Ryusei's hand was still resting on the brace. "When you cry, is it normal for it to hurt here? Because…it aches. A lot."

"Yeah, it's normal. But it's the worst feeling, isn't it? That's why I hate seeing people cry. But there are times when…you need to let it out."

"Why? When it hurts so much?"

Sora paused and pursed his lips, pondering on how he should answer. At last he whispered, "Because if you hold it in…it'll hurt even more." He touched Ryusei on the shoulder, causing the replica to look up at his warm blue eyes.

"Listen, Ryusei. Crying can be painful…but it can help you heal. People say that it's a sign of weakness, but I don't believe that. You need to be strong in order to cry, because if you don't, you're not admitting your own feelings to yourself. You're only lying to yourself, trying to think that you're not really sad. If you do that, then the hurt in there" – he touched the back of Ryusei's bandaged hand that was resting on the brace – "will only grow bigger, until it takes you over and you're not yourself anymore. So if you need to cry, even for the tiniest reason…then let it all out. It'll help you. I promise no one will judge you for it."

All traces of teasing were gone from his face, attitude, and posture. Now he spoke in a tone Roxas hadn't heard in ages…or _ever_, in fact. He might not have known about it himself, or have ever been on the receiving end of it, but it was obvious what he heard.

It was what he imagined…to be the voice of a brother.

Roxas suddenly felt like an intruder. He shouldn't be here. He didn't belong in the same room as these two, where the platonic intimacy had suddenly grown so strong it was almost palpable. He might be Sora's other self, but that didn't give him any sort of inherent right to allow himself to be invading on a scene like this. _You're an outsider, _this scene seemed to tell him in scorn. _You don't belong here. You're not wanted here. You're not contributing anything. Leave._

_Just leave._

It was like a sledgehammer was striking at his already aching chest, over and over, unrelenting. He'd never felt like more of a misfit in his life than now, and he'd felt that way too many times.

Not only that, but he was just so…lost. Sora never spoke like that – not to Ven, or Riku, or even Roxas himself. What made Ryusei so different? How was he capable of loving a genetically engineered and enhanced human? Did Ryusei even realize that he was the first to receive this kind of treatment? Why did he have to pick _today_ of all times to make peace with this double?

God. _Why?_

By now Ryusei was crying with mirth. His entire body was shaking. He was letting out hiccupping sobs with wails and shuddering breaths strewn in like a cacophonic mourning dirge. Tears were streaking down his face like runaway rivers. His teeth were clenched to the point of grinding against each other. And through all this Sora never removed his hand from Ryusei's shoulder.

Roxas took a step back. He felt like he wasn't wanted here anymore. The atmosphere in here was too uncomfortable and awkward for him. He wanted to leave the two alone.

"Wait."

Roxas blinked in surprise. Ryusei was trying to control his sobbing by breathing in deep shuddering gasps. His reddened eyes were locked on Roxas.

"Please…don't leave…yet…please stay…a little longer…"

Roxas felt more uncomfortable than ever. "But…" _I'm not contributing anything. I'm intruding. I don't know why I'm here anymore._

"Roxas." Sora looked at him, an ashamed expression marring his features. "Look, I'm sorry. That must've been…difficult to watch, huh?"

Roxas couldn't answer him.

"Don't go yet, Roxas. He – he needs you here."

Roxas looked down at his feet and smiled bitterly. "No one needs me here. All I did was act like an idiot, just standing here and watching him cry. Why should I –"

"It's not like it's your fault," Sora pointed out. "You're not the one who made him cry."

"Even so…" Roxas stared at his hands. "What the hell am I doing here?"

"Roxas…"

"It's not right for me to be here. I never should've invited myself. I should've known it would turn out something like this. I just stood here and stuttered like a moron. I never said, 'Yes, I forgive you' because I wasn't expecting any sort of apology and I wasn't prepared to answer such a question. And I hate myself for it, if there even is a self for me to hate. He asked me a favor, and now I can't even give him _that_, because I'm just an insensitive jerk." He clenched his hands into fists. "I'm useless."

"Stop that! I don't _ever_ remember him accusing you of anything!" Sora snapped at him angrily, making Roxas take another step back in shock. "All he wants you to do is to stay here and listen to what he has to say. He's not asking for any more than that! And if you think that you're an insensitive jerk then you don't see yourself correctly! How many times do I have to tell you that you are _you_? Stop hating yourself over something that isn't your fault! All you need to do is stay here, and hear him out. _Then_ you can start thinking about whether you should do something from there. So stop acting like you're not wanted here!"

Roxas shivered from head to toe. He didn't know whether it was from fear or relief. "Sora…I –"

"I'm not the one you need to talk to right now," Sora cut in crisply. He jerked his head in Ryusei's direction. "It's him."

Roxas bit his lip, trying to hide his anxiety. "But I – I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything," Ryusei cut into their bickering suddenly, his voice unnaturally quiet. "I'm the one who needs to…I'm – I'm sorry."

Roxas was mystified. "What, you're apologizing again? Why?"

Ryusei hissed like he'd been burned. "I shouldn't have expected you to forgive me outright…I never should've asked…I don't deserve to say anything to any of you, because to me it'll be meaningless…I've done way too much to be treated like this." He drew in a deep breath before continuing, "Whatever you're thinking, you're not the one who doesn't belong here. It's me."

"Hey…don't say that," Roxas pleaded. "That's not true, you…" He trailed off. What, then? What was true? What was _he_?

"It's the truth," Ryusei said, devoid of emotion. "I'm not just someone who shouldn't be here. I'm someone who shouldn't even exist. I'm only a copy of someone, created by someone. A copy…that brought so much pain to its original self, more than should be absolved. I'm an unnatural existence. You should have just left me in that dungeon to die. Then everything would've gone back to the way it was before I came along and ruined it all. But you were too kind. I started feeling like I actually mattered to someone back when Sora saved me, but…I should've known better. I don't deserve any sympathy. I'm still just a byproduct."

Pity surged through Roxas again, clear and strong. "Listen…if it's of any consolation…" Roxas cleared his throat. "So am I."

Ryusei snapped his head up to stare at the young Nobody in incredulity. "What?"

"I'm…I'm not supposed to exist either. I've got no one to be, but I still am. I know how you feel, Ryusei."

"But – but how –"

Roxas tried to explain. But it felt like the longer he talked, the more confused he made the clone. It got to the point when Roxas figured that the smartest thing to do was to just shut up.

"I'm sorry," Roxas confessed at last. "It's not so easy to explain with words. But like you, I originally never existed. Sora created me unintentionally when he fell into darkness all those years ago. And…I've also done some things I'm not particularly proud of. To be honest…I was a lot like you."

Ryusei was still stunned. His blue eyes, which exactly matched those of Sora, were wide with shock.

"I didn't think I should go on existing, either. Because – like the way you feel now – I was never supposed to _be_, so I felt like had no right to stay. But Sora came and changed all that. He said that I was myself, not him, and I could find my own person because right now I wasn't anybody. So…I did."

Roxas paused, gauging the clone's reaction to what he'd said so far. Ryusei looked positively speechless, like he hadn't even considered the idea that he wasn't the only being that originally wasn't supposed to exist. Either that or Roxas was sounding like a complete idiot to him right now. Roxas pushed that thought out of his mind and continued.

"Sora treated me like I was someone who belonged. He taught me that to look on the bright side is worlds better on yourself in more ways than one, instead of just being such a pessimist. He called it…'destructive thinking'. Beating yourself up mentally. I didn't realize it until he told me straight up, and by then I looked like a complete wreck.

"Believe me when I say that I know what you're going through. Back in those bleak days, I didn't know what to feel or think, or what feeling and thinking even were. Being with Sora made it much easier for me. He's helped me so much I can barely recognize the me from back then and relate to the me I am now.

"So I just want to tell you this…don't give up on yourself just yet. Sora isn't, is he? Just start thinking positive; it'll help you more than you know. Sora believes in you and…and I will too."

When Roxas ended his monologue, Ryusei was still at a loss for words at first.

"But…" Ryusei looked up at the blond boy that was regarding him, still confused. "But how – why – why are you doing this? Why're you working so hard to help someone like me?"

"Because," Roxas supplied without thinking about what he was saying, "you're sincerely sorry for what you did, and we believe you. You deserve the help."

Roxas was starting to feel afraid that he'd been rambling on too long until he saw Ryusei's expression stiffen with the slightest of resolve.

"I…I guess you're right." The clone spoke, staring back down at his hands. "And I can finally say it…without feeling like I don't deserve to."

"What is it?"

Ryusei raised his head, twisting it around to face Sora, who was still lounging on the bedside chair and had been silent through Roxas's monologue. He jerked his chin toward Roxas, urging him to proceed. Ryusei turned back in Roxas's direction, but his gaze seemed trained to that of the marble floor. "Th-thank you."

Roxas blinked in surprise, but then he smiled – the first smile he'd given to anyone that day. "No problem."

Then it happened. Everything happened so quickly that it seemed like a mere trick to the eyes. Ryusei suddenly became rigid. His eyes went wide and his mouth was frozen open in a gasp of agony as his upper body abruptly jerked up off the bed and slammed down again like a rogue jackhammer. He bellowed in pain as his still-healing chest braced the impact. His left arm twitched and knocked all the objects off the bedside table. Like this was just any normal occurrence, Sora caught his arm and held it in place until Ryusei's spasms ceased.

Roxas struggled to remember how to breathe, then expelled a huge gust of air he'd been holding for those eternal five and a half seconds. Sora was still holding onto Ryusei's arm like it would jump out of his grip at any given moment, his expression completely beyond pain. Ryusei himself was limp on the bed, grasping at his chest with his other arm. Perspiration had accumulated on his now pallid skin, making it glisten in the bright lights of the room as if mist had condensed on it.

The silence that followed was so thick one could have cut through it like a hot knife through a stick of butter. To Roxas's shock, Ryusei was the first to break it.

"S…sorry about that," he managed to get out amidst his gasping. "You can let go now."

Roxas couldn't force his brain to process a satisfactory response; he was still so stunned by what he'd just witnessed. What exactly _had_ he witnessed?

Sora was visibly shaken; clearly this wasn't the first time something like this had occurred. Sora wouldn't release his derivative's arm. "Ryusei, you keep this up and eventually you won't be able to hide this anymore. It'll kill you. You need to tell the medics about it!"

Ryusei flopped his head to face away from him, an unreadable expression on his now-haggard face as he spoke, still breathing hard in between his words. "I told you before…I won't…they can't do anything about it."

"We've been through this, Ryusei. You can't go on like this anymore!" They'd argued about this same issue before, apparently. Ryusei – for some unexplainable reason – suffered these brief but exhausting seizures, and wouldn't tell any of the castle medics about it. So far, it seemed that Sora had been unable to force him to give in to his demands.

"And we've been through _this_." Ryusei seemed to get some of his energy back, if only because his own anger was rising. "They can't help me! If I thought that they could I would've told them about it ages ago! What's happening to me is beyond them. They can't do anything!"

Sora continued to protest, "But you can't –"

"I know I can't!" Ryusei whipped his head around to face him, enraged now. Livid fury was etched into his face. "I know I can't live with this every day! Do you think I actually _like_ having these spasms? I hate it! I hate it as much as you probably do, probably even more! But there's nothing you or I or _anyone_ can do about them!

"It's been like this ever since I was created – it's how _he_ tortured me, nearly murdered me, and left me with just an inch of my life back when you found me underground! These goddamn seizures! I can't even defend myself when I'm in its grip! He engineered me this way, programmed it into my system, so that he could mess with it whenever he felt bored or just wanted to hear me scream! You have no idea how hard it's been for me because of that! Being his live plaything, like I'm just a doll he can throw away later if he gets bored with me! Or he could just toss me like trash if I break! That's why he's giving me these seizures now – he probably wants me to feel like the trash I am! I…I just wish he'd stop, because I already know that!" More tears began spilling from his eyes in his anger. "But it's just not enough for him. It isn't enough for him to let me know I'm trash; he has to make me feel like it, too, every waking minute of my life. He probably even knows that I know already, but he's just messing with me anyway! It's his way of torturing me, and it'll stay that way until I die, or you kill him first! That's why you can't help me!" His voice caught at the last word. He let his next words out in a shuddering breath, laden with hopelessness. "No one can help me now."

It was impossible to tell how long silence pervaded the room then. Ryusei looked so…so _broken_ after that outburst. Utterly defeated. So much so that Roxas's chest was threatening to burst in sympathy. He was just utterly horrified at what he'd just heard; he couldn't find it in himself to pull the air up from his lungs to form words of reassurance that he couldn't process in his now-jumbled brain.

When Sora finally deigned to speak, his voice was strangely heavy.

"Why," he whispered, sounding distraught, "why didn't you tell me all this before?"

"I didn't want to," Ryusei said dejectedly, turning away. "I didn't want you to worry yourselves over an issue you can't fix."

"But…but nothing is unfixable!" Sora protested desperately, trying to make his replicate understand. "If you try hard enough you can always find a solution!"

Ryusei forced a chuckle, but it was bitter and hollow. "Well…it was only a matter of time until you were faced with a problem you couldn't fix."

Roxas took in these words mutely. It was during this visit that he realized the saying really was true.

Fate really was cruel.

* * *

><p><em>There we go, it's all done! This chapter just <em>overflows_ with angst, doesn't it? I'm sorry about that; I didn't mean for it to turn out this way, but it did. I LOVE IT THOUGH. XD But believe me, come next chapter and you'll get your well-deserved action, and…maybe a little more angst. Warning you right now, though: IT WILL BE LONG. VERY LONG. Thanks for reading! Reviews are welcome and very much appreciated!_


	19. All Give, No Take

_Yay, quick update is quick! At least in my case :D I don't think I've ever updated anything so quickly before. Perhaps I'm just eager to share what happens next with every one of you wonderful people that read this, because I have a feeling I will like how it turns out, and I hope you'll like it too! Alright, less brooding and emo-ness, more fighting, action, maybe a little drama (probably not), and YAY! Back to first person; gonna stick with that 'till the end! Enjoy!_

**Ch. 18: All Give, No Take**

**Sora**

"He said that he was _sorry_?" Riku asked incredulously for about the tenth time.

It had been about three days since Roxas's first visit to Ryusei. Since that day Roxas had come along with me to see him, though I couldn't tell what he was thinking during those visits. It seemed to me that he did accept Ryusei more whole-heartedly now, though there was something about it that hadn't rubbed me the right way.

Now we were all down in the castle lobby. Roxas and I were trying to convince the others about most of what had happened up in the wards. So far, though, it wasn't going well. Not even my best friend believed me.

"Riku. _I was there_. I can bear witness," I said, groaning irritably. "And for the millionth time, yes! He said he wants to apologize! Roxas and I were the first to hear it, and he wanted us – well, Roxas, really – to relay the message because _you_ never visit him!"

I knew I'd hit the bull's-eye. I noticed spasms of guilt that mingled with shock shoot across their faces for a split second.

Terra began to demand, "What right do you have to just suddenly –"

"I've got every right!" I cut him off harshly. I glowered at my friends. "I mean, don't _any_ of you see what's wrong with this picture? You guys agreed to help him, didn't you? Yet none of you are giving him the benefit of the doubt! You're leaving him there to bear his thanks in awkward silence! Why can't you guys make it easier on him? He's already gotten off pretty bad ever since he was made! It's not fair to make that worse!"

"Sora –" Aqua started to say, but she hesitated.

"What?" I asked bluntly. I was already irritated at them for not even trying to visit someone they'd agreed to save. "Spit it out."

"Well, to tell you the truth…and I'm speaking for everyone else here…we _did_ want to go and see him. Really, we did."

I blinked in surprise. "Well, if that's true, then what stopped you?" I asked quizzically.

Aqua looked uncomfortable now. "It's just…the thing is, we didn't really know what to say to him, even when he first got here. Because…you know, we hardly even know him –"

"And you just assumed that I've been best friends with him from the very beginning?" I demanded, my anger flaring up again. "That's basically what you're telling me!"

"No, of course not –" she pleaded, but her words were lost on me.

"Look, even _I_ barely knew him when I first saw him," I reminded them scathingly. "I'm still not sure why I wanted to free him and bring him back here because he was still a stranger to me. The only reason I know him so well now is because I actually _talked_ with him the whole time he's been here, which is more than you guys save Roxas could even _begin_ to say about yourselves. Yeah, I helped a stranger. That stranger just happened to be someone created in my image for the sole purpose of getting rid of me! But I helped him anyway, because it was the right thing to do! Just forget about yourselves for a second and think about Ryusei _and_ what he's had to endure!"

Everyone was silent. They looked surprised at my sudden outburst, but they had it coming to them. I could have been jumping to conclusions here but I was too frustrated to really care. All Ryusei wanted was to be able to say sorry and thanks to all of them in person. Why did my friends have to deny him even _that_? It was the least he ever asked of us! I clenched my teeth and kept my eyes narrowed into slits so their thoughts wouldn't deviate from what I'd just told them.

"Please don't make me give you guys a refresher," I said in a controlled voice. "Don't make me remind myself of what he had to suffer."

Still no one said a word.

"Do you seriously want to prolong the pain he's had to bear all this time just because he's here when he wasn't meant to be? It's not fair to him. So swallow your pride for about five minutes, go see him in person, and receive his thanks and gratitude yourselves. We're not going to be your messenger boys."

The silence was pressing down on my shoulders now. I wondered if I should say something else when Roxas cut in.

"Guys, he's right," he said, surprising strength in his voice. "You need to go and see him yourselves. He's not a bad person; I saw it for myself. He was just being misguided. His apology won't mean anything if you're not there to hear it in person. We can all go if that's more comfortable with you."

I swiveled my head around and stared at Roxas in surprise. I hadn't realized that Roxas had made his mind up already regarding his feelings for Ryusei.

"Roxas…" I muttered, surprised. "When did you…?"

Roxas faced me and grinned somewhat sheepishly. "Well…to be honest, I still wasn't completely sure after that whole…incident, so to speak," he admitted. "What you said just now, though…it helped me make up my mind. He doesn't deserve any of this just because of what happened before. You're right – he's suffered enough, and he didn't ask to be here in the first place." He took on a firm expression, his eyes flashing with determination. "We should at least give him a chance to make up for whatever he did against us, because after all – it wasn't his fault."

I smiled inwardly. Sometimes it was nice having your other self with you to have your back in situations like this.

* * *

><p>In the end, we did manage to get everyone to agree to at least see Ryusei in his ward and talk to him. Ven had suggested (like the kid he was) that they make him get-well presents to remember them by. I was all for it, because Ryusei did deserve something extra after all that he'd been through, not to mention that Ven had a pretty one-track mind. They were all gone now, in exception of Riku, who had decided to stay behind for a last word with me, and Roxas, who had already gotten Ryusei a get-well present, even if he didn't realize it – his forgiveness and acceptance.<p>

"Sora, listen…"

I perked my attention. "What?"

"You know something…sometimes I feel as if I don't know you at all."

Shock coursed through me. "_What_? What are you talking about?"

"Even though I've known you for so long…I'm always taken by surprise at everything you do," he said, sounding a little frustrated. "And you seem to read my every move."

"What's your point?" I asked in puzzlement.

"How did you find it in yourself to forgive him? You didn't just forgive him – you accepted him so easily. You acknowledged him. How'd you do it?"

I sighed, rolling my eyes. So this is what he wanted to talk about? "Geez, Riku. And here I thought you were smart." I scoffed. "Do I really need to spell that out for you?"

"I'm only curious!" Riku retorted. "I just can't understand how you do it! You never called him a clone or a fake. You treat him like he's just another person!"

"Because he _is_ another person," I replied exasperatedly. "A person is someone that can walk and talk and feel and think on their own, right? Ryusei can do all that, so he's more than qualified to be called a person. They exist the same way we do. They're people, even if they are genetic copies."

Riku just put a hand on his hip and sighed, "Of course, that's the answer I get. You never change. Next thing we know you'll be calling him your brother."

Roxas crossed his arms and chuckled. "You know, that's not such a bad idea. You guys can even pretend you're twins," he joked.

"Not really helping, Roxas."

I could feel my face break into a grin. "Hey, that'd be pretty cool! I wonder what Ryusei will think of this idea, though."

Riku smirked. "Looking at you now, I'd say he'd probably disown you."

My face turned hot at this. "Hey, that was uncalled for!"

"I don't know, Sora; he just might be speaking the truth," Roxas chuckled. "Don't really know how we're going to handle the both of you."

"Geez, Roxas; whose side are you on?"

He raised his eyebrows and grinned impishly in response. "I'm always looking out for number one."

Riku laughed. "Tough luck, buddy. Looks like I win."

"What are you talking about? We weren't even arguing about anything!" I snapped my head around sharply with a pout on my face. "Just get out of here; you have a get-well present to make!"

"All right, all right." Riku backed off. "I'll be _very_ careful not to mention any of this to Ryusei."

He was starting to tick me off. Normally I'd take it in stride but the way he was teasing me like I was some five-year-old over something like this made me want to smack him. "You'd better not, or you'll regret it," I warned him severely.

He just gave me a mock salute and strode away. It took all my willpower not to curse at his back. I actually had to bite my tongue.

Roxas noticed my irritation and tried to calm me down. "Sora, you know he was only joking…don't take it too hard. He didn't mean anything on purpose."

I sighed, cooling off. "Yeah, I know," I grumbled to the floor. "Either way, that wasn't cool."

We were silent for a few heartbeats. Then Roxas said something completely out of the blue.

"You know…I was actually serious about the whole 'twins' thing," he said.

If Roxas was trying to change the topic, it worked. "You were?" I asked, slightly surprised.

"Well, yeah. I figured it would be easier for him to…you know, belong. If you and him acted like brothers."

"So, is that why you mentioned it?" I didn't really assume that Roxas would put so much thought into such a topic. Maybe this was why I'd been getting that off feeling each time we went to see Ryusei. "I thought you were only kidding."

"If it sounded like that, I'm sorry. But I really meant it."

I didn't know what to say to this. Me and Ryusei, act like brothers? That thought was just so weird, so…_alien_, that I didn't know what to do with it. I'd never even considered ever having to deal with a sibling entering my life; it had seemed so otherworldly. But then again, the current circumstances were pretty otherworldly.

"I mean, doesn't it make sense?" Roxas asked me, unnerved by my silence. "You're the one who started this whole thing. We're only basing our actions on what you do. And I only mentioned this because you…you already treat him like he's your brother. Didn't you realize?"

I blinked. "I do?"

"Sure you do. That's the reason I wanted to leave the room that day, because I felt like I was intruding on something private."

I only half-heard him. A sudden feeling of dread began creeping up my spine. What was that expression again? Someone walking over my grave?

"Sora! Look out!" a voice shouted frantically behind me. I turned on the spot and blocked the blow that had been intended for my back. When I looked up to see my assailant, I felt my eyes tighten in denial.

Roxas was positively spitting with anger at the sight. "You! How could you –!"

"Stop, Roxas!" I intervened, grunting as I continued to keep myself from getting pushed back. "It's not what it looks like!"

"Well, then how else am I supposed to see this?" he cried. "You can't expect me to mistake this for anything else!"

"That's not what I'm talking about! I don't think he's the one behind this!"

"What –"

I regained my bearings and stepped closer for leverage. Then I slashed, forcing my attacker away from me. I readied myself to brace against another attack.

"What's going on?" I asked my aggressor. "Why are you doing this?"

He ignored my queries. He only looked at me, raw terror inscribed on his features.

"Sora," Ryusei whispered urgently, looking horrified. "Please, you've got to put an end to me! Before I end up killing you!"

* * *

><p>Ryusei was still wearing his hospital-given clothes and looked like he'd just been shoved out of his bed. He was barefoot, and he was holding a familiar weapon in his hands, wrapped in dark energy. Ultima Weapon.<p>

"What are you, crazy?" I exclaimed.

"No! You've got to understand; I don't want to do this! Stop me! Kill me!" he begged desperately. He lunged for me again, and I had enough wit to roll out of the way.

"What the heck are you rambling about?" I demanded. "There's no way I'm gonna kill you!"

"No, you don't get it!" he shouted as our blades clashed together, metal grinding against metal. This time he managed to push me back a couple steps. Despite his being confined on a bed for practically a week, Ryusei was still surprisingly strong. It must have been because of the way Vanitas had built him.

"Please enlighten me, then, since I have no freaking clue what's going on!" I yelled as I blocked an overhead blow. I had to stay on the defensive, or I would accidentally maim Ryusei even more.

My mind reeled. Why was this happening? Why did Ryusei suddenly attack me like that? I was so confused my head hurt, and the current situation wasn't really helping matters.

Ryusei answered me as he cut at my chest, and my chest clenched when I heard it.

"I-it's not – I can't – I can't move! My body won't listen; it won't listen to me!" His eyes closed tight and our blades once again met in midair. For the first time since the assault began, I noticed that Ryusei looked strained and was moving stiffly, like he was being pulled by invisible strings and was trying to free himself from it. He kept his eyes shut and turned away from me each time he leapt at me, like he didn't want to watch himself hurting me.

The understanding of the situation was quickly replaced by rage. I couldn't believe myself for even thinking about it. Vanitas had gone so far as to – I couldn't finish the thought. I've never felt this angry in my life – and that's saying a lot, because being angry seriously isn't like me to begin with.

"That lowlife bastard," I growled through my teeth as I parried the blow heading for my neck. "I'm going to kill him if it's the last thing I do!"

"What would be the point?" Ryusei wailed despairingly. "It won't matter either way since I'm going to die here!"

"Shut up! I'm not about to let you die!" I sidestepped a blow aimed at my gut and Ryusei's Keyblade blew a hole in the wall twice as big as I was. The pieces of marble rumbled as they broke apart and landed on the floor, dust billowing everywhere. My mind quickly went to Roxas, who had backed away to avoid being attacked.

_Roxas, you need to tell everyone else what's happening here! _I thought hastily as Ryusei rushed at me again. _Hurry and get them and explain the situation! I know you heard every word!_

_But Sora, I can't just leave you alone like this! _he protested as I leapt away from an upward slash. _You need help!_

_I'll be fine! I'll hold him off as best as I can! Just quit wasting time and go!_

I'd stood in place one second too long. Ryusei had been aiming for my throat again and he was so close that I could feel his ragged breathing on my cheeks. I lurched back at the last second, and he only managed to cut my face. I could feel the sticky blood flow down to my chin, but I barely took note of it.

Roxas still hadn't left. _Sora, you can't –_

_GO! _I thought furiously, not having time to come up with a more elaborate rebuttal.

There was no answering thought, so I hoped that Roxas took the hint and left, because I wasn't in the position to look back and check if he had. Ryusei charged again head-on, but now that Roxas was gone, I could end the façade and stop defending myself. I let him strike me, backing up so that it wouldn't cut too deep. It still felt like a dozen hot wires had been run across my skin, but I just grimaced and grasped the wound as I tried to ignore the pain and stay focused.

Ryusei stared at me like I'd suddenly sprouted wings. "Are you out of your mind?" he exclaimed incredulously, fighting against his own body. "Why'd you let yourself get it? That's suicide!"

Somewhere in the back corner of my now-hazy mind, I knew that he would never understand why I did it. To this day, I don't think he ever properly comprehended what I'd told him at that point.

But I explained to him anyway.

"This pain," I said. "I wanted to feel it."

"You idiot!" Ryusei hissed so viciously that I almost forgot that _he_ wasn't the one attacking me. "I could've killed you!"

"But you didn't," I pointed out, wincing as pain shot through my gut once more. The cut must've been deeper than I thought because the flow of blood wouldn't slow. "That was the whole point."

"What are you saying?" Ryusei looked desperate now, and I think it was more than just because his body forced him to lunge at me again. I jumped out of the way, still holding onto my abdomen. I hissed in pain as I landed on my feet awkwardly.

"I wanted to know what it was like for you," I answered him, breathing harder now. "How much of this you had to deal with."

"But that's insane!" he cried. "Why would you want to go through any of that? You don't deserve that kind of torture!"

"That's exactly why!" I snapped, hoping he would follow. If Ryusei could've flinched in his state, he probably would have. "I didn't deserve to feel this kind of pain, but neither did you!"

Ryusei's eyes widened at this, even as he was making a beeline for my neck for the umpteenth time. I was backed up against the wall now so I couldn't dodge out of the way. I drew in a sharp breath to brace myself, then raised my Keyblade to block the blow, lifting my hand away from my injury in order to support the blade. The teeth of my Ultima Weapon were now stained with my blood.

My arms shook with the effort of keeping Ryusei's weapon at bay. I was losing strength quickly, thanks in part to the crimson fluids bleeding out my energy along with itself. I didn't know how much more I could take, but I would have to keep going regardless of the odds. If not, Ryusei would end up killing me, and he would never forgive himself for it.

My resolve hardened. No, I couldn't let him kill me. Ryusei would be unable to take it in the state he was in.

That thought renewed my energy as adrenaline shot through my system, giving me the strength I needed to push him away far enough so that I wasn't in immediate danger. My Keyblade dragged against the marble floor. That surge in strength hadn't lasted long, and now my arms felt like they've been laden with lead weights.

"Stop doing this to yourself, Sora!" Ryusei implored with me, using all his strength to keep his body from moving against his will. His eyes were wild and anxious. "I don't want to hurt you anymore!"

"That's what I'm trying to say," I hissed through my clenched teeth. "You didn't deserve to feel this, either. How do you think I felt when I first saw you half-dead? It's worse than any kind of bodily injury! Chances are you're feeling it right now!"

A horrified expression crossed his face as he slowly grasped what I meant. "No…no, you can't have been –!"

His exclamation was cut off as he lost his hold on his body, and he rushed at me with his Keyblade bared. I couldn't react fast enough, and though I managed to avoid the worst of the attack, he caught my temple with his hilt. In my condition it felt like somebody had swung an anvil at my head at maximum momentum. I crashed to the floor, unable to curb my cry of agony as my body bounced against the stone-hard surface. The impact knocked the breath and blood out of me. I could feel the trickle of blood down my lips and said temple; the stickiness of it made it hard for me to blink.

"No…" Ryusei whimpered in denial as he whipped his head around so that he faced the floor. His eyes were closed again. At least he could still control the movement above his shoulders. "No, you couldn't have been feeling that way…it's not…"

"Possible?" I winced as I staggered to my feet. It took all my willpower to keep myself from crumpling to the floor in exhaustion. My knees were trembling, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. This rapid weariness was contributed to by Ryusei's inhuman strength. It hadn't even been that long and I was already covered in scars and blood. "I guess I'm not surprised that you think so. You lack experience in this department, after all."

He ignored me. "N-no…this awful feeling in my chest…you…you can't have – you're lying!"

"I wish," I said bitterly. "I wish I was lying…but I'm not."

"Why do you keep doing this?" Ryusei finally screamed in undiluted frustration. "I don't understand! Why are you letting me do this to you? _Why are you letting me live_?"

"I told you already…" I braced myself against the wall, trying to keep from falling. "No one deserves to feel this way…especially not someone like you!"

"No, please…" Tears slipped down his cheeks without a care. He closed his eyes, but the trails of saltwater wouldn't cease. "Stop doing this…just kill me…put an end to this…please…I can't stand it anymore…"

His voice cracked. I could almost feel his spirit crack along with it. I instinctively knew what this silent lament led to – defeat. Ryusei was giving up. He believed that there was no other way to stop himself – or maybe there was, but he didn't want to voice it. He wanted to die. He wanted to be killed.

And he wanted me to deal the final blow.

I gritted my teeth. I wasn't about to do that. Not after all I've been through to save his life and to get everyone to forgive him. Not after he'd saved mine. There was no chance. Of all the things he asked for, this was one favor that I couldn't grant him.

"I'm sorry," I said, tightening my hold on Ultima Weapon. "But that's one favor…I can't fulfill."

"Sora…" Ryusei stared at me wildly. "Please, don't do this! I can't stand seeing you like this anymore!"

I was too tired to formulate an answer that would satisfy him. This was just as well, because I suddenly heard the pounding of the footsteps that were Roxas and my friends getting closer and closer. When they finally stopped, I could hear their collective gasp as they beheld this scene – Ryusei poised to end my life while I was barely managing to stay on my feet, drenched in life's crimson gold.

My vision was getting foggy from losing so much blood. My legs felt like overcooked spaghetti noodles in the struggle to keep me up. My breathing was getting heavier and hoarser. Ultima Weapon weighed a ton in my hands. I didn't know how long I could keep this up, and I was almost tempted to find out.

I quickly shook myself out of that temptation. I remembered why I was doing this in the first place, and stayed standing. It took all the willpower I could muster, though – I was pushing my body way beyond its limit, and I could feel it. But I wouldn't pass out. I couldn't. I was terrified of what might happen without me being aware if I let the fatigue take hold of me and drag me into the too-comforting darkness that was unconsciousness.

By now my friends were all gasping and exclaiming in horror.

"Sora; he's hurt!" I heard Ven gasp. "Look…look at all that blood!"

"How did this happen? Sora wouldn't let himself get beat by him like that!" Riku noted feverishly.

"Don't jump to conclusions!" Axel's voice. "There must be something else going on!"

_Stop gaping at me_, I thought angrily through the haze in my brain. _Help Ryusei! Help him get back in control! _I half-hoped that Roxas would hear my request, and I wasn't disappointed.

"Guys, he wants us to leave him!" Roxas called out to everyone else. His strained voice sounded far away. "He wants us to help Ryusei get back in control!"

"How does he expect us to do that?" Terra's voice. He sounded mad. "If he goes on like this he'll die!"

I wanted to shout at them to forget about me and just get on with helping Ryusei, but I'd lost the energy for that a long time ago. My voice failed me, and all that escaped my lips was a low moan of pain. That only served to exacerbate their anxiety.

I kept my eyes trained on Ryusei. He surprisingly hadn't stepped any closer, and his Keyblade was still in the same position. But he wore a different expression this time around – his face was contorted, as if he was thinking hard about something. Judging from the worry creases etched into his forehead, whatever idea he had, it wasn't a pleasant one.

My ears were buzzing, but I could still hear the footsteps that were coming closer in my direction. "Sora!" It was Aqua.

"No…!" I managed to rasp. "Don't…come any closer!"

Her footsteps paused. I heard her anguished voice, pleading, "Sora, please; you've got to stop this!"

My blood continued to gush out of the wound in my gut. I was starting to lose the ability to think through the fogginess in my brain. My legs threated to drop me to the ground. My arms were shaking with the effort of keeping my Keyblade in hand. In short, I probably wasn't going to last much longer.

Numbly I wondered how pathetic I must've looked to everyone. Xehanort begging me for mercy on his hands and knees probably looked more dignified than whatever I looked like right now. But I didn't bother myself with that. I fought to maintain focus with the last of my energy, and called out to Roxas in my thoughts.

_Roxas, _I thought. _Can you hear me?_

_Sora, you're not in any condition to argue, _Roxas ordered sharply. _I don't care if you threaten to absorb me back into your body. We're helping you and you're not gonna do anything about it!_

I ignored this. _Roxas, listen…I'm going to keel over really soon, so I need you to do me a favor. It's important._

_Sora, don't –_

_Don't argue…just listen to me…there isn't much time left…_

Roxas probably saw that I wasn't going to last much longer, because he acquiesced, albeit grudgingly. _Fine. What?_

_Tell the others that…the only reason I look like this…is because I didn't fight back. And that…I'll explain everything afterward. Oh, there's one more thing…_

_What is it?_

_It looks like Ryusei's got a plan…to free himself without having to die. Whatever it is, help him see it through…do whatever you can to help. Don't let him die. Promise me._

Roxas was surprised; I could feel it. _Okay…I – I won't_, he replied.

_I have one more favor to ask, Roxas_, I told him. I struggled to keep my thoughts aligned. _I know it's tempting…but don't try to help me…until Ryusei is safe._

Roxas protested, _But Sora –_

_Promise me_, I insisted. _It wouldn't be fair. He deserves to get help first. _I couldn't hold on any longer. _Hurry…Roxas…promise me…_

_O-okay_, he relented, trying to hide what this answer cost him from me. _I promise. I won't let you down._

I managed to smile, though I didn't know whether he saw that or not. With nothing else to hold me up, I gave into the weakness in my limbs, the haze in my brain, the pain in my gut. My Keyblade slipped from my fingers, vanishing in a flash of bright light as it clattered to the floor. My knees buckled and I keeled over, collapsing onto the cold marble surface of the castle floor into my growing pool of blood. My eyes slid closed and my consciousness pulled me into the security of the darkness in my mind – sleep.

Right before the blackness came over me completely, I had enough energy for one more thought.

_Roxas…I'm sorry…_

* * *

><p><strong>Roxas<strong>

It took all that I had to keep myself from rushing to Sora's aid. Some reckless part of me wanted to ignore Sora's request and at least get him up to the hospital wards, but I knew that if I did so, Sora would never forgive me for it.

Riku started to run toward his best friend, crying, "Sora!" It took both of my hands to hold him back.

"Stop!" I grunted through Riku's attempts to break free. "Don't go to him!"

He wrenched his shoulder free from my grasp and glared at me. "Are you nuts?" he shouted. "He's going to die! I don't care what he said to you; I'm going to help him!"

"Listen, I'm just as upset as you are!" I yelled. "But he told us to help Ryusei first! Don't ignore his final wish for your own reasons! And besides, if he was about to die, I would be the first to know!"

Riku looked like he wanted to argue, but then he paused to look at Sora, who was prostrate on the ground, the pool of blood gaining radius every second, and relented. I sighed wearily and released my hold on him.

"Roxas…what are you talking about?" Aqua asked me anxiously. "What did he say to you?"

I reiterated word-by-word what Sora had instructed me before he cut off the connection. Like me, my friends were none too pleased to hear that Sora told us to wait on Ryusei before helping him.

"The loss of blood must've muddled his thoughts," Ven said urgently. "Maybe he couldn't think straight…"

"No," I said, facing him. "If he couldn't think straight then I wouldn't have heard anything. Sora knew what he was saying." My glanced strayed to Sora's body again. "DiZ was right about one thing…he's far too nice for his own good."

I heard a sudden thud behind me, and I whirled around. Ryusei was on one knee now. He still looked like he was fighting off the fell influence that was playing puppet-master with him, but he'd managed to ground himself.

"So…he saw through me." Ryusei raised his head and locked eyes with me, blue with blue. "I should've figured…"

"Sora said that you might have some kind of plan. What can we do to help?"

He didn't answer me for a moment. He went back to staring down at the blade in his hands before saying, "First…Roxas, summon your Keyblade."

I was startled by this request. "What? Why –"

"Just do it. We're running out of time."

I'd heard that phrase too many times today. I wordlessly drew Oblivion. "Okay, then. What next?"

"Brace yourself, because I can't hold myself back anymore!" With that Ryusei flew at me like a bullet, but I managed to block him. I staggered back slightly, taken off-guard by his incredible strength, but I managed to regain my footing.

"I'm not exactly sure how this factors into a death-free plan," I grunted.

"Of course not. This isn't the plan at all. I only told you to summon your Keyblade because I didn't want to end up killing you. You can't help me if you're gone."

I blanched slightly. "Okay, never mind. Death-free it is."

"All right, listen up," he said, pushing closer. "There's only one way to help me without killing me. I purposefully waited until Sora was out for the count before telling you."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" I asked, struggling to stay upright underneath his blow.

"Because I knew for a fact that he wouldn't agree to it. But I'll probably have a better chance with you."

Uh, oh. This wasn't sounding good at all. "What's so bad about it that you waited until he fell unconscious?" I questioned uneasily.

He didn't reply right away. All he said was, "Duck!" as he abruptly lifted Ultima Weapon and aimed for my head. I had to summon Oathkeeper to block that blow since I couldn't turn around fast enough. I managed to push him away with that attack, using the momentum of his strike to scoot him back several feet. If he was surprised that I had a second Keyblade, he didn't show it.

"There's something I've kept from all of you," Ryusei confessed, as he fell back into attack stance. "I didn't want anyone to know – especially Sora. I didn't want to scare him. But if you're going to help me, then you need to know." He suddenly looked…self-conscious. Since when could he do that? "Don't…don't freak out, okay?"

I girded myself. "What is it?"

Ryusei still looked somewhat troubled for a split second, then: "I'm…not a human clone."

All of us gasped.

"What?" My eyes bugged. "If you're not a human clone, then –"

"Vanitas….he – he made me this way. I'm basically what you guys would call a cyborg."

"Cyborg…you mean you're half-human-half-machine?"

He nodded once.

"But how? You – you look pretty normal to me!"

"That's because it's internal." Ryusei winced as he tried to keep his body from launching itself at my throat. "You can't have seen it. Not even electronic scans can detect it."

"Well, what is it?"

"It's a tiny machine in the center of my forehead," Ryusei continued to explain. "Vanitas called it…the PsychVice, because of what it does. You need to break that."

"But won't that –"

"Kill me?" he finished. "No. It won't cause me to die. There _is_ a drawback, though. It's the main reason I waited until Sora passed out."

"What's the drawback?" I asked, almost not wanting to find out.

"See, the thing is…the PsychVice keeps me at Vanitas's whim, but it also maintains my consciousness and memory. I guess you could call it something like a computer brain. Once you break it, all of my memory – from the minute I was created until now – will be erased, and my real brain will take over my functions from that point on. My brain will basically reset itself. I won't have any knowledge of what happened since I was created…" He stared at the ground again. "Not even the fact that I'm a clone. I won't remember anything."

The air seemed to grow colder. It was a good thing Ryusei had wanted to share this after Sora was out of commission. He would have immediately shot down this plan.

Thinking that reminded me of Sora, and what he would think once he found out. God, what was I going to say to him?

"But, isn't there another way?" I asked, grasping at straws now. "Couldn't we just remove it?"

"It's not that simple. It's impossible to remove; it's a part of my body. And if you did try, I would most likely go brain-dead or just plain dead, and curse him – I know Sora doesn't want that. The only way to go his route is to break the PsychVice."

I didn't want to do this. Everything in my body wanted to rebel. But we were running out of time. Sora was still bleeding profusely and we couldn't help until Ryusei was taken care of.

"So when you've done that, you'll need to rebuild me, and make me into a person I couldn't hope to be now." Ryusei hesitated. "I mean…if you want to keep me around."

Part of me realized that my friends still hadn't gone to apologize to him yet, so he wasn't aware that he'd already been forgiven.

I hated the words that came out of me as I spoke them. "…Okay. If that's the only way to help you…then I'll do it."

Relief relaxed Ryusei's ragged face. "Thank you. But…before you do…there's one last thing I want to say."

I raised my eyebrows.

Ryusei looked at Riku, Ventus, Terra, Aqua, and Axel in turn before saying, "There's so much I want to say…but so little time. So to keep it short – thank you for helping me. I know it couldn't have been easy accepting me at all. I didn't deserve it, after what I've done, so I'm…grateful." Grateful. One more word that sounded alien coming from him. "And I'm…really sorry. I can't begin to describe how sorry I am after all that's happened…I hope that you'll forgive me. For everything."

There was a minute of silence. I could tell that none of them really knew what to say to this, but then Aqua spoke up.

"Listen, Ryusei…I know we haven't shown you the hospitality you deserved, and now…" She choked up. "We're sorry too. We didn't realize how much you've been suffering. If you can, then…I hope you can forgive us as well."

Ryusei looked taken aback. He clearly hadn't expected such a response, and it showed as the others expressed their regret in succession.

"Prejudice clouded our better judgment," Terra said gruffly. "We should have accepted you the minute Sora brought you in in your state. Forgive our misconduct."

"We're sorry we didn't see each other sooner," Axel said, looking unusually somber. "We could've been friends for a while."

"I'm sorry too," Ven joined in. "We weren't very polite to you. I promise, once this is over, that'll all change. We'll remember every second of our meeting for you!"

Riku was the last to speak. "I'll freely admit that I didn't acknowledge you when you first arrived," he admitted. "But after everything that's happened so far, it completely changed my mind. Sora was right about you. You are yourself, even if you are his clone." Riku smiled slightly. "And there's something else you should know…I think you'll be happy to hear. Roxas can tell you."

Ryusei faced me questioningly. His expression mingled curiously with the wonder at having received so much forgiveness and remorse on his part. When he looked at me, I immediately knew what Riku meant.

"Ryusei…once you're…back up and running, we'll let you know something…that we were hoping that you wouldn't mind."

He cocked his head to the side. "What?"

"Right before all this happened, Sora told us that he'd like it if you two started to think of each other as brothers, since you're genetically the same and all… You'll have a real family, real friends, real home. By the time you're better we'll have worked something out, so you don't need to worry about a thing. So…what do you say?" I finished nervously.

Ryusei looked stunned. Then his expression softened as he smiled, looking almost wistful. "Yeah…I'd like that."

"It's the least we can do," I replied. "And just in case you didn't catch on…you're forgiven. And we accept your thanks."

He nodded infinitesimally. "The same goes for me with yours."

Ryusei looked at all of us in turn, and finally rested his gaze upon the still form of Sora. A tear escaped from his eyes as he whispered, "I'm so sorry." We didn't need to ask why he was apologizing this time. It was all in his expression.

I de-summoned Oathkeeper and left Oblivion in my right hand. I wouldn't need to dual-wield for what was about to happen next.

Ryusei loosened his hold on his limbs. Without pause his body rocketed toward me. Without thinking about what I was doing, I managed to touch Ryusei on the exact center of his forehead with Oblivion.

Time seemed to stop.

I stood with Oblivion's tip resting on Ryusei's forehead; Ryusei had frozen to a standstill. There was a resounding cracking sound, like something had shattered. Ryusei's eyes glazed over and he toppled forward, but I managed to catch him before he hit the floor. He hung lifelessly from my arms, limp as a rag doll. His Keyblade fell from his grip and disappeared in a flash of light particles.

I would have liked to say that we didn't shed any tears after the deed was done.

But then I would've been lying.

* * *

><p><em>Man I freaking abuse amnesia. I don't blame you all for suing me for it. Go right ahead. Tell me to come up with something more original. xP <em>

_Oh, and remember what I said about this being a super-duper long chapter? Well, I lied. XD Now it's just a regular long chapter. I decided to split this into two parts, deciding that it would be much more pleasant to read through that way. Hope I didn't bore you with this too much.-o- It was really fast-going so I'm tired now! It's been a while since I did POV changes in the same chapter; hope it doesn't seem too out of place. This chapter really flowed; it just came rushing out of me. I hope you found it enjoyable ^^ Read and review; thanks a million!_


	20. Reasons

_Sorry this took so long! I was so busy working on other things (and being distracted and lazy) that I kind of neglected this story after two quick updates. Anywho, this is gonna be a short little chapter, more like an interlude into the next chapter. Sorry I can't give you more than this right now, but I do have more stuff for you to work on! Hope you'll enjoy this in the meantime! :)_

**Ch. 19: Reasons**

**Roxas**

The pain in my chest was gone, but it still ached. I could think again, or at least my thoughts weren't so cloudy anymore. I opened my eyes in time to see all my friends looking down at me in relief.

"Roxas, you're okay! Thank goodness!" Aqua smothered me with a hug. I choked and gagged at the sudden movement.

"Aqua – g-get off – I can't breathe –" I gasped, and she immediately released me, to my intense relief. I sat up as I struggled to take several deep breaths.

"Oh, Roxas; you scared us half to death!" Aqua scolded.

"Sorry." I blinked, suddenly confused. "Wait, hold on! What happened? Where am I?"

"You're in the castle hospital ward," Riku answered me. He looked just as relieved as Aqua, maybe more so. "You sort of passed out after you caught Ryusei, and you started to disappear. We brought the three of you up here as fast as we could. We made it just in time."

I thought hard. I couldn't remember ever passing out. But then, I guess it would be hard to remember anything while I was fading out of existence. Small wonder.

Right then, though, I realized what that meant. "Hold on a minute! You said I was starting to disappear! Then that means –"

"Yeah," Ventus spoke up. He looked somewhat shaken, but otherwise okay. "Sora almost died. But he's okay now. The doctors said that he needs stitches and, uh, transfusions, I think." Ventus scratched his head. "Not really sure what that means. But in any case, they said Sora will be fine."

I drew in a rattled breath. That was close. Way too close. I didn't want to think about how close Sora had come to actually dying for real this time. It was just…geez. Why did Sora have to be so reckless in his decisions?

"Hey, speaking of Sora, how's Ryusei doing?" I asked, that fact suddenly coming to my mind after thinking of Sora. "Is he okay, too?"

"Don't worry about him," Axel reassured me. "He's perfectly fine. He just needs some rest, is all."

I exhaled. What a relief. "That's good."

"While we're on that subject," Terra intervened, "what about you, Roxas? How are you feeling?"

"Uh…" I thought about it for a minute. "My chest kind of aches. Like it's been clamped in a vice for a week. But other than that, I'm okay."

"Sorry, Roxas," a voice next to me said quietly. I turned to see who it was.

"Sora! You're awake!" I exclaimed. Sora was still unhealthily pale, and his voice was pitifully weak, but at least he was talking at all. That was a good sign.

"I should've told you earlier." He shuddered, like the words had taken too much energy to say, and closed his eyes wearily. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't – don't worry about it," I assured him shakily. "You didn't really have a chance to, so it's fine – I'm just glad you're still here."

"I could…say the same," Sora said, opening his eyes again and staring at the marble ceiling somberly. "I didn't want you to feel that…" He shuddered again. It looked like it really was taking a lot of energy for him to talk. I could see perspiration glistening on his pale face under the harsh lighting. "But you had to."

I didn't want Sora to tire himself out so soon after waking, but I couldn't keep myself from asking, "What d'you mean, I 'had to'?" As usual, Sora's motives were darn near incomprehensible.

"I wanted you to…feel that pain," he said. "_His _pain."

Everything clicked into place. All at once, I understood. "Oh…that's what you mean."

"What are you talking about?" Riku demanded angrily. "What the heck could you mean by that? You almost died and nearly gave us all a heart attack!"

Sora smiled weakly. "Guess my plan worked, then."

"What plan?"

"To put us in Ryusei's shoes," I clarified solemnly. "To get a close feeling of what he had to experience in his life from the moment he was created."

Everyone stood in stunned silence.

"It was a different kind of pain," Sora said. "But pain all the same. I was hoping that…it would help you understand…to know him better, and why he…did all that he did."

Riku shook his head in disbelief. "You mean you put your own life on the line, just so we could _sympathize_ with him?" he asked incredulously. "What in the world were you thinking? If we hadn't –"

"But you did," Sora pointed out. "I knew that you would. That's why."

A muscle was going in Riku's cheek as he cracked his knuckles. "Sora, if you weren't four and a half pints short of blood right now I would've strangled you the minute you woke up for doing such a crazy thing."

Sora looked mildly bewildered. "Four and a half pints, huh…wow. That's a lot." Then a thought seemed to strike him. "Oh, yeah, I forgot to ask…what happened with Ryusei? He's alive…right?"

I looked at my friends nervously. They looked about as comfortable as I felt, but they urged me to proceed. "Yeah…he's alive," I said.

"That's good to hear." He paused, and then looked at me critically. "But that's not everything…is it?"

I flinched guiltily. Just perfect. He saw through so easily when it came to situations like these. I hated him for that, but I couldn't hide it anymore without Sora getting mad at me, which I didn't want. Now I had to tell him everything.

And so I did, from beginning to end. When I was finished, Sora was disturbingly quiet. Then he whispered in a broken voice, "Why didn't he tell me?"

"He knew you would refuse," I said heavily. "Believe me, we didn't want to do it, either. But…from what he was telling us, it was either that or let him die."

"And now…we're back to square one." Sora's bedsheet wrinkled beneath his clamped fists. His tone of voice was hard to place and his expression was unreadable. "We have to start over…from the beginning."

I wished he would stop talking like that. He could have just slapped me or something similar. It would've hurt worlds less than what I was feeling right now.

"Yeah."

Sora slowly shut his eyes. Then, unexpectedly, he started to cry. Tears leaked from beneath his eyelids and streaked down his temple, blotting the cloth on the pillow. His teeth were clenched in a bid not to sob.

"Why?!" he cried once in misery. "Why him? Why always him?!" His voice caught. "It just…isn't fair! It's not fair!"

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't shocked to hear him say those words. I'd expected him to be mad at us for letting Ryusei go through with what he did. At that point I realized that he really _was_ mad – just not because of us. It was because there had been no other way to help him without giving him a break. He was angry at the fact that even the act of helping Ryusei always came back to bite him. Ryusei would never get a pleasant ending out of anything that happened.

"Sora…" I began, but I didn't go on. I wasn't sure what to say. What would make him feel better?

We stayed that way for several minutes. Eventually Sora's sobbing slowly subsided, until it became even breathing, his chest moving up and down. I couldn't believe it. He'd cried himself to sleep. I had no idea that could happen in real life. But I figured that with Sora, just about anything could be possible.

The others noticed this, too.

"Well, looks like he's asleep again," Axel sighed. "Can't blame him, to say the least. He's been through a lot over the past few hours."

"I guess it's high time we let you two rest for now," Aqua suggested. "We'll see you two later, okay?"

"Uh, right," I said. "Later."

I watched my friends leave our room one by one, until Sora and I were alone. I looked back to Sora again, whose face was still wet from crying. I felt really bad, more so than I ever felt, because I'd forced him to use up what little energy he had in making him listen to what happened to Ryusei, and that was the last thing he would remember when he woke up.

I knew he couldn't hear me, but I started talking to him anyway. "Sora…I'm really sorry for all that's happened. Ryusei must've had a really hard time making this decision too, because he probably knew this was how you would react. I don't know if this will make up for what's happened – no, it probably won't, but I'll tell you anyway. I know you can't hear me, but I'll still tell you this."

I stared into Sora's sleeping face as I continued to speak. "Remember what I said back there before you were attacked, when I suggested that you two should act like brothers? Right before we went through with the plan, I told Ryusei about it. He was probably more surprised than you were, even though he didn't tell us. But he was happy. He didn't want you to totally lose everything, so he agreed to it. So…you've got yourself a brother now. You'd better be good to him, you hear me? It's the very least you can do to at least steer him in the right direction."

Abruptly I shook my head and grinned. "What am I saying. You were already doing that."

I lowered myself back down on the bed. I put my hand underneath my pillow and stared into space, letting my thoughts wander. When I chanced a glance back at Sora, I saw that he was smiling slightly now.

I chuckled softly to myself. Apparently he _had_ heard everything I'd said. Sora really was a never-ending stream of surprises.

* * *

><p>I was feeling much better the next day, so I went to go visit Sora and Ryusei. Apparently they'd moved Sora into another room while I was asleep. The medics said that I was free to wander as I pleased as long as I wasn't loud or didn't break anything (honestly, I don't know what they're worrying about, because I was more afraid of that than they were) so I decided to drop the two of them a visit to see if they were awake yet.<p>

The others weren't able to visit because they had various matters to take care of. Riku and Axel had left earlier today to let the girls know of the current situation so that they wouldn't freak out upon seeing two of the same person. Terra, Ven, and Aqua were jointly investigating the places of our abandonment – the desert and the jungle. They'd said that it was important to discern what purpose it had served for that giant black portal to teleport us there.

Whatever that meant. It was pretty clear to me why we were sent to those places – to get us killed, and to separate me from Sora. I still don't know who did it, but once I found out I was going to knock them six ways to Sunday.

When I opened the door to their room, I found that one of them was awake. It was impossible to tell at first glance, because they looked so alike. But upon closer inspection, I realized that Ryusei was the one awake. His expression became wary once I entered, and he stared at me uncomfortably as I approached, recoiling infinitesimally. Something painful lodged itself into my chest when I saw this, and I had to forcibly remind myself that Ryusei didn't remember _anything_, much less me.

"Hi there," I greeted him as I pulled a chair over to between the two beds to sit on. ""I'm glad to see you awake."

For a minute, Ryusei continued to stare at me with that same apprehensive look in his eyes. Then he opened his mouth to speak, and it sounded like a child trying out his first words.

"Uh…who are you?" he asked me. "Do I, um…know you?"

"Oh." Oops. I'd forgotten to give him my name. "I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself. My name's Roxas."

"…Roxas," he repeated, like he was trying out the word, working it around on his tongue. Then he looked at me inquisitively. "So you're…Roxas."

I nodded. "That's right."

Ryusei half-smiled. "I like your name," he said.

"Well, thanks," I answered, unable to help but smile myself. "So…do you know what your name is?"

Ryusei's half-smile vanished as he furrowed his eyebrows, trying to think. My non-heart sank and I sighed. I guess he didn't remember the name Sora had helped him to find, after all. I was hoping he'd at least remember that.

"Ryusei," he said so suddenly that I jumped.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked.

"My name…it's Ryusei," he repeated for me. Ryusei then suddenly looked contrite, like he'd said something wrong. "I mean…that _is_ my name, right?"

My spirits rose. So he did remember somewhat! "Yeah, that's right! That's your name. That's great that you remembered!" I congratulated him, clapping several times before grinning. "Well, I'm glad to meet you, Ryusei."

"Th-thanks," he stammered. That uncomfortable look came back again. "Um…"

I frowned. "What is it? Are you feeling sick or something?" I asked him. _What a stupid question_, I thought to myself.

Ryusei shook his head rapidly. "N-no that's – that's not it," he said, looking down.

"What is it, then?" I pressed. "You look bothered by something."

"Well…" Ryusei wrung his hands together. "You…you're the first person I've met since I woke up, so…can I ask you some questions?" he requested hesitantly, expectant.

I was surprised. "Oh, um, sure. Whatever you need."

He looked relieved, like he'd been afraid I'd refuse. His face then took on a curious expression. "So, uh…wh-where is this place?" He looked around the length of the room like he was seeing it for the first time.

"Here? As in this room? Or as a whole?"

Ryusei looked taken aback. "Well…both, I guess."

"Well, this room is the castle infirmary. As to where you are, this is Land of Departure."

Ryusei knit his eyebrows together. "Castle…infirmary?" he asked, confused.

"Yeah. In other words," I elaborated, "you're in a hospital."

"Why am I in a hospital?"

"Well, you got hurt," I told him. "That's usually why you end up in one."

Ryusei cocked his head a little. "Huh?"

Sarcasm was lost on him. I guess I should've known that.

"Never mind," I said. "What I _meant_ to say was that you got a concussion. Your head's been hurting, hasn't it?" I added.

Ryusei blinked, as if he'd never really considered it. "Yeah, a little. Just here, though…" He rubbed his forehead to indicate the spot.

"It'll pass," I assured him. "Just give it some time."

He nodded, still rubbing his forehead with a somewhat annoyed expression. "Um, okay."

So only his forehead hurt…was it because that was where the PsychVice had been? Most likely, but Ryusei hadn't told me that it would cause any kind of physical pain. But then again, he could have avoided telling me stuff like that on purpose.

"Can I ask you one more thing?" Ryusei asked me suddenly, jarring me out of my thoughts.

"S-sure," I said, struggling to get my bearings as I gestured for him to proceed. "Ask away."

"Okay…so there's something I've got to know." He turned to face Sora, who was lying in the bed to his right, still asleep. "Who…who is he? I feel like I've met him somewhere before but…" His expression grew pained. "I – I can't remember."

I felt a pang of pity for him. I knew what it felt like to not really know anything for myself. It's one of the worst feelings there is.

"He's your brother," I answered him, free of any teasing.

Ryusei looked so shocked he looked like he was about to suffer a heart attack. "M-my brother?!" he stuttered incredulously. He looked to Sora again in astonishment. "That guy over there…he's my brother?!"

"That's right." It was much easier to tell this lie than I originally thought. Probably because it was technically true. I also noticed that Ryusei was getting more and more coherent with each exchange. Odd, but convenient, I guess.

"What – what happened to him?" he asked desperately, looking wildly concerned. "He's going to be okay, isn't he?"

I had my story ready for him. "Don't worry; he's going to be fine. He only got hurt just a little more than you did. He was trying to protect you."

"Protect me?" he echoed. "Protect me from what?"

"Well, you guys were – actually, _you_ were being attacked by someone. See, that someone had you pinned to the ground and you probably would have died right then, since you'd been knocked out when he pushed you down. But he" – I indicated Sora – "pulled him off of you and, well…your attacker got mad at him, so he got cut in consequence. Nearly got his stomach cut open. Lucky that I happened to pass by when it happened. Your attacker ran off once I got close, and all I heard from your brother was to help you, even though he was the one bleeding to death. And so you two were brought here," I finished. All of what I'd just said was definitely possible – it just never happened.

Ryusei looked like he could barely breathe. "Wh-whoa," he breathed. "That all sounds so…crazy. Of all the things to learn…I learn that he's my brother and that he saved my life in the same conversation…" He looked to me with adulation sparkling in his eyes. "And you…you helped us."

"Well, not all that much," I admitted. "All I did was bring you here, really –"

He suddenly took my hand, which surprised me more than I could ever say, not to mention his grip was bone-crushingly tight, and said fervently, "Thank you. It's thanks to you we're both alive."

"Uh, well, you're – you're welcome." It was my turn to be incoherent.

"What's his name?" he implored me. "My brother's name?"

Despite being flustered, I had to smile. "It's Sora."

"Sora, huh…" Ryusei released my hands and looked back at Sora with genuine adulation and concern. "I'm glad he's going to be okay. And really, thanks for helping us."

"No problem." I massaged my arms to reinstate circulation. "You two are my friends, after all."

Ryusei whipped his head to face me. His eyes widened in astonishment. "You're our friend?" he asked in surprise. The word _friend_ sounded alien in his mouth.

"You don't need to sound so surprised," I scoffed sarcastically. "Is it really that unbelievable?"

"No, that's not what I meant!" he said hurriedly, looking terrified. "Well, I mean, maybe I was surprised just a little…but that's not what I meant at all, honest!"

I held up my hands in a placating gesture, fighting to keep the grin of amusement off my face. "Easy there, Ryusei. It was only a joke."

Ryusei froze as he took in what I said. Then he turned pink. "Oh."

"It's okay. I don't blame you for taking that seriously." Everything I'd told him had been twisted versions of the actual truth, after all. I'd be in disbelief too if I'd been in his place.

Just then there was a movement on the bed behind me. Sora was starting to wake up. I turned in his direction quickly just as he cracked open his eyes.

He looked at me uncomprehendingly for a second, then he croaked, "Hey, Roxas."

"Thank God, Sora; you're awake," I said in pure relief. 'How're you feeling?"

"Totally drained," he sighed, wincing as he sat up. "But I figure it could've been worse. I almost died, didn't I?"

"Yeah. We lost you for about a minute because you'd lost so much blood. You have no idea how tense those sixty seconds were."

"Sorry about that. Least I'm still here, though." Right then he caught sight of Ryusei, who'd been listening to our conversation curiously. While Ryusei looked away with his face flushed when he caught Sora looking at him, Sora himself had an unreadable expression on his face. My stomach churned a little. Apparently he hadn't come to terms with what I'd told him yesterday. But when I did a double take, his face had smoothed out into a relieved smile.

"Ryusei, you're okay!" he said happily. "Man, I was really worried about you, but it looks like you're fine."

I looked to Ryusei, curious to seeing his reaction to this. He looked like he was searching for words for a good thirty seconds before stammering, "Y-yeah. I'm glad to see you awake, too…Sora."

If Sora was surprised at hearing his name, he hid it well. He just looked worried as he asked, "Hey, is something wrong? You don't seem like yourself."

Ryusei looked as if he'd been thrust into a very awkward situation (which it probably was for him) as he mumbled, "Well, I…"

I cut in before Sora could say another word. This was all for the sake of appearances, though – Sora had to act like Ryusei's amnesia was new to him, or else our cover would be blown. "Um, Sora…there's something you should know."

Sora looked to me quickly, his face flustered. "What's going on, Roxas? What wrong with him?"

I then repeated most of what I'd told Ryusei, and threw in the amnesia bit at the end. He didn't interrupt me once, looking positively horrified at what I was telling him – which helped with the performance quite a bit. When I was done, he buried his face in his bandaged hands and moaned, "Oh, God…this can't be true…"

I tried not to look too shocked. I had no idea Sora could act this well. Even I was almost fooled, and I _knew_ he was acting.

When Sora lifted his head away from his hands, there was an empty grin on his face. "Some brother I am," he dropped tonelessly. "I save your life but now you can't even remember who you are. I should go kick myself."

"But Sora!" I protested a little more loudly than I'd intended. "You shouldn't be like this! At least he's still here, right? Don't toss your sacrifice to the side! You saved Ryusei's life, and he knows it. He's safe, thanks to you!"

"Physically, at least," Sora muttered. "I couldn't save the important part."

Truthfully, I had no response to this. I wasn't even sure he was acting anymore. Then, completely out of the blue, Ryusei spoke up.

"Look, I…I know that I don't remember who you are, but Roxas told me the story. About how you nearly…died to help me," he began. "And even though I don't remember this, I just know that…that we're brothers. It feels right. And even if we really aren't, we can always…still act like it, right?"

I don't know if I was imagining it or not, but I could swear I saw Sora's expression change. He started and his face wasn't as blank as it had been before.

"I wanted to thank you, too; otherwise I wouldn't be here," Ryusei continued, looking more and more uncomfortable by the word. "My…my memory might be gone, but I'm not, so…we can start over and make some new memories from now on. That's what brothers would do, right?"

This time Sora looked at his lookalike uncertainly, like he was making sure that Ryusei was really saying what he was saying. I looked, too, and I could tell from the firm expression on Ryusei's face that he wasn't joking.

Sora looked away from Ryusei briefly, staring down at his hands. "Damn it, Ryusei. You're too nice for your own good." Sora sighed. "But…I guess it can't really be helped, huh? We are brothers, after all." At last, Sora gave his first genuine grin of the day. "You're right. We can start over. Starting now."

* * *

><p><em>Oop, there was a sudden time skip at the beginning! Was it jarring? Sorry about that. Heheh. <em>

_Anyway, looks like something new is underway! And look, they're all happy! Yay! I mean, I know they lied to Ryusei, but still. :D Let's see if things will stay that way._

…_Oh, who am I kidding; of course it isn't. Haven't you been reading this story at all? XD Well, I hope this met your satisfactions! If it didn't, tell me how I could have in your reviews! Thank you!_


	21. Our Move

_Thanks for your patience._

_You're going to hate me these next couple chapters. I will bet my one-thousand-plus crane collection on it. There _is _a reason this fic is called _Bittersweet Journey_, people. Man, this fic is drawing to a close. And you are not going to like the ending. AT ALL. I'm both relieved and sad that this fic is ending, but Jesus Christ on a pogo stick. This is the third (maybe fourth) to last chapter, and YOU WILL HATE ME FOR IT. LET THE HATING COMMENCE._

**Ch. 20: Our Move**

**Ryusei**

Amnesia sucks.

Well, of course it does. Not remembering anything about yourself isn't exactly someone's life goal. But that isn't why I hate it so much. I hate it because I have it, and I feel so _out of place_.

I've been feeling like that for the past week. When I randomly woke up in the hospital that day, all I could remember was my name. I've been acting like a zombie since then and I'm still not sure if I'm a hundred percent over that yet. Nearly everyone I spoke to (which wasn't a whole lot of people, mind you) would look at me like I had something weird on my face. The only people I can speak with without feeling awkward were Roxas and Sora, and the former was the first person I met in this place. Sora…was another story.

I don't know where to start with this guy. He looks exactly like me, first off – hair, face, eyes, body build, _everything – _so don't blame me for being at least a little confused by that when I saw him for the first time. He told me it was because we were twins – two siblings that looked identical to each other, I understood later – so it was only natural. It felt like he was right, but I couldn't shake the suspicion that he wasn't telling me everything. But since I had no way to argue against this, I just went along with it.

Second – Roxas told me that Sora had taken a sword blow for me that nearly killed him, and for me it was like I'd just learned that a complete stranger had saved my life. It felt less weird after I was told that we were brothers, but still – you don't get told stuff like that every day. Don't get me wrong; I'm grateful to him and everything because, well, he saved my life, stranger or not. I can't deny it was still pretty awkward, though. Though learning all this had made me wonder – just how many other things had he done for me, and how important was I to him for him to use himself as a shield? I don't know, and I doubt that I'll ever find out even if I get my memory back.

The topic of which I am speaking of to Sora at this moment. I want to feel like I actually belong here, so I ask about myself to Sora every chance I can get. This is one of those chances. Today, though, is special – Sora had promised to show me something, as he called it, "totally awesome", and I'm practically getting an ulcer from the impatience.

"C'mon! Show it to me now!" I say petulantly. "Quit stalling!"

"Whoa, easy there, Ryusei," Sora warns me through a grunt of pain. "I'll show you, okay? Just try not to main me horribly before I can. I'm not exactly in peak condition."

Sora's saying that since he's still stuck on the hospital bed. According to Roxas, he gets blood transfusions (I'm not totally sure what that means, but it's keeping Sora alive for the moment and that's all I need to know) once a day and the doctors pretty much forced him to stay in bed until he's one hundred percent. Since I'd only gotten hurt on the head – don't know how to pronounce the name for it – I can wander around as much as I like and only take some painkillers for the next week. Annoying, but better than being held in one place against your will. I don't think I can stand even a moment of that.

Plus I'd kind of jostled him in my haste, and he's still wrapped in bandages. Oops.

"Sorry," I mumble. "I didn't mean to."

This might be kind of weird to mention, but I'll say it anyway: whenever I see Sora in some kind of discomfort – _any_ kind, really – I go through a huge mantra of guilt, like whatever is hurting him is my fault. I know I shouldn't be feeling that way since there's no reason for me to, but I can't help it – the guilt always comes. It's baffling, to say the least. It's probably because the reason Sora is in that bed in the first place is because he was trying to save me, but it's still strange.

Sora raises himself to a more comfortable position as he says, "Don't worry. It kinda is my fault for not showing you earlier, anyway." He rubs his hands together. "Well then, let's do this. Try not to get a heart attack."

I don't understand what he means by this, and my confusion is only made worse by Sora holding out his hand in front of him like he's trying to grab something that wasn't there. But all that goes out the window when a giant three-foot-long key suddenly materializes in that hand. I don't suffer a heart attack, thankfully, but it's only by a little. I almost fall off the chair I'm sitting on, though.

"Wh-what is that?" I splutter near-incoherently. "That just – appeared in your hands!"

Sora looks like he's trying not to laugh at my reaction. "This is called a Keyblade," he informs me, still grinning. "Pretty handy for killing monsters and making locks borderline useless."

"What?"

Sora chuckles, unable to hold it in anymore. "Man, where do I start. Well, get comfortable. This is probably going to take a while."

* * *

><p>I'll spare you the details of what he just told me. Because, frankly, my brain can still barely process it. I'll give you the one-sentence version: It's a magic weapon that acts like both a sword and a key, only certain people can use it, and all his friends save a couple can use one. Talk about an overload of information.<p>

The kicker? He told me that _I _can use one, too.

"You're not serious," I say once he finishes. "You're joking, right? I seriously can't do the same thing as you!" Me, make a magical sword key appear out of thin air? This sounds like the most blatant lie I've heard so far. But Sora doesn't look like he's joking.

He holds out the hilt of the Keyblade in my direction. "Try holding it," he suggests. "You'll get what I mean."

"But –"

"Just do it already," he insists. "It's fine. It won't disappear on you, I promise."

I don't know what he means by that, but I don't ask. I hesitate before taking it, and then I grip the hilt. The second I make contact with it, a sort of warmth spreads into my arm and my whole body. I take it off Sora's hands and look it over, feeling like I'd seen the intricate blue and white filigrees somewhere before, but I can't put my finger on it. After a full minute of looking the Keyblade up and down, I hand it back to Sora, who is waiting patiently. He takes the Keyblade off my hands and it vanishes in a bright white light.

"So," he begins as he lowers his arm, "how did it feel?"

I have to think for a second before I can give him an answer.

"Warm," I answer him at last.

He smiles, but I know that he's not laughing at me. He probably knows what I'm talking about more than I do.

"Now you try," Sora says encouragingly.

"I…" I don't know what to say. "I can't. I don't know how. And you said that I forgot, so I can't…"

He sighs, but he sounds more resigned than irritated.

"Look, Ryusei," he says patiently. "Summoning a Keyblade isn't something that you learn or forget. Will it to come to you. Ask your heart."

"Ask…my heart?"

He nods.

I'm still reluctant. This is crazy; there's no way I can do this.

"Try it," Sora insists.

Like he's giving me any choice.

"…Okay."

I hold my hand out the way Sora had done, and (feeling kind of stupid) will the Keyblade to come to me the way his did. I don't really expect to succeed, but that's where it comes back to bite me because sure enough – a giant key flashes into existence in my hand. I'm so surprised that I nearly drop it. Though I manage to hold on to the thing, I'm not sure whether I should be delighted or shocked.

"There, you see?" Sora congratulates me, though I can swear I can hear some smugness in his tone. I can't be sure. "I told you that you could do it!"

I ignore him and observe the weapon. I turn it around in my hands, looking over its entire length. It feels so strange – like I just discovered I had magic powers. Not only that…

"Sora…" I begin to say, and he glances over at me questioningly. "This is a…Keyblade, you called it, right?"

"Yeah." Sora's eyes narrow slightly. "What of it?"

"Well, I'm just wondering…why does it look exactly like yours? Didn't you say these are unique to the people who can use them?"

He blinks, like he'd been expecting some other question, but quickly regains his composure. "Oh, that? That's because we share the same one."

"We're…sharing this?" I ask, thoroughly puzzled.

"Yep." To prove his point, Sora summons his Keyblade again and holds it up to mine. The identical weapons gleamed.

Now I'm even more confused than before. "How are we sharing the same Keyblade?"

"It's kinda hard to explain," Sora admits, making his disappear. "But it exists in two places at once. It's like that for us. None of us are sure why, though."

I sigh and decide to just go with it. There's way too much that I don't know, and I'm not about to give myself another headache trying to wrap my mind around it.

Speaking of which, another one of those strikes at that moment. My Keyblade vanishes as I rub my forehead incessantly.

"Stupid headache," I mutter, grumbling. "Can't I get a break from you for at least two hours?"

"You sure you remembered to take your painkillers today?" Sora demands, his expression suddenly stern. "It doesn't look like you did."

"I did, honest!" I protest. I don't want to get on his bad side if he had one. "It's just that…those, uh, doctors said that it would be a while before that stuff kicks in."

Immediately his face clears, smoothing out into a grin. How does he do that? "Oh, is that the case? Then you should just take it easy."

"Take it easy," I repeated, confused as usual. "I'm already doing that, aren't I?"

Sora laughed. "Sure. I guess you are. Looks like I don't have to worry about you anymore."

"What?"

Before he can explain, the door to the room bursts open and two girls charge in, followed by Roxas and his twin Ventus. Other than their clothes, they were impossible to tell apart. Definitely not a coincidence, but I hope to find out the reason behind it soon.

The two girls that just ran in (to my horror) immediately tackle Sora back down onto his bed. They're…what was it called? 'Glomping' him, I think was the term? Well, anyway, they aren't giving him a chance to even breathe properly, and that's not good – not in his current condition.

"Agh!" Sora was crying out from his spot underneath the girls struggling to break free, but it wasn't doing him much good at all. "Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-OW! Get off me – it hurts! I can't breathe! I need air; I NEED AIR!" he chokes out, finally getting them off of him. They look positively horrorstruck – well, one of them, the blonde one, does. The other girl, a redhead, just looks really, really mad, and I couldn't imagine why.

"Oh – I'm so sorry!" the blonde girl gasps in horror, looking ashamed of herself. "I didn't mean to – I was just –"

The redhead interrupts her. "What the heck were you _thinking_, Sora?!" she rages, stabbing an accusatory finger in his direction and making him recoil in fear. "What's the big idea making us all panic like that?! Why can't you be just a little _less_ reckless just _once_ in your life?!"

Sora stammers, "H-hey, I was only –"

"I don't care what you've been doing! You almost died several times already, and there's no telling when you'll –"

"Okay!" The blonde cuts into her rant. "Um, Sora, don't mind Kairi; she's just been really worried. We were all worried, actually. Axel told us the whole story, and we're glad you're okay. I just hope nothing else too serious has happened."

"No-nothing too major," Sora answers her, apparently relieved to have been saved from the redhead's anger. "Though there was this guy" – Sora thumbs in my direction – "that kinda complicated things."

The two girls noticed my presence for the first time. The redhead, Kairi, the one that previously railed on Sora, eyes me with a mix of curiosity and intent, like she was sizing me up, comparing the two of us and deciding whether I was better than him or not. She's making me feel like I'm being X-rayed.

"So," she says in a tone I can't place. "You're Ryusei? This is the first time I've ever met you. I've heard about you though. Anyway, my name is Kairi. Nice to meet you." She holds out a hand towards me. I'm confused for a minute before I realize that she's asking to shake my hand.

"Um…same here," I say awkwardly as we shake. My eyes automatically flash to the blonde girl, maybe as a plea, but I'm not too sure. Either way, she gets my message.

"Hi, Ryusei," she greets me easily like we've been friends forever. "I'm Naminé. I've heard so much about you, and I'm glad we finally got to meet."

"You…you've heard about me?" I blurt out without thinking.

"Of course!" she says, beaming. "You were always the subject on Sora's lips. He spoke pretty highly of you, and I've always wondered what you were like."

I glance at Sora in confusion. He scowls and turns away when he catches my eye, his face reddening. He'd talked about me to these girls before?

"Um…oh. That's – cool, I guess." I can feel my own face getting hot, but suddenly I realize something that snaps me out of my embarrassment. "Wait, so we've never met before? Not even before I –"

"Nope," Roxas comes into the conversation, and I jump. I'd completely forgotten he was there. "This is the first time you three have met. You, well…you weren't the most social type of person. You normally liked being alone, according to Sora, anyway. None of his friends have seen your face until now."

"Oh." That's all I can think of to say. But something else is bothering me – if I really had been an antisocial person who'd hated going outside, then how had I gotten attacked? It's possible that I was ambushed from inside the house, but then how did Roxas just come by and find us if he didn't live in the same place as us?

"So what are you two going to do?" Roxas had turned his attention to the girls. "Are you going to stay here a bit longer, or do you want Sora to rest up a little more?"

"We'll let him rest," Kairi says abruptly as she faces the door. "He's going to need it for what's coming up." She flashes Sora a look that makes him flinch.

For the first time I'm not the only one in the dark about the goings-on. Ventus and Sora (once he recovers from Kairi's glare) both look lost.

"What's coming up?" Ventus asks Roxas, the only viable source of information.

Sora cocks his head sideways in puzzlement. "Roxas?"

Instead of answering, Roxas turns his attention to Kairi and Naminé. "Yeah, I guess you're right. You should both head back. It's going to get a bit dangerous from here on out and we don't want either of you to be caught up in it."

Naminé begins to protest, "But Roxas –"

"C'mon, Naminé," Kairi cuts her off in a hard voice. "Let's go. I'm sure they can handle things on their own." She shoots another one of those glares in Sora's direction as she says, "You'd better watch your back. Got that?"

Sora cringes. "Yeah. Okay."

She then stalks out of the room without a backward glance. Naminé looks frantically between Kairi's back and Sora before hurrying after her. Once she's gone, the three of us look to Roxas for clarification.

"What's going on, Roxas?" Sora demands. "What aren't you telling me?"

"You never told me anything about this either," Ventus adds, sounding peeved.

"With good reason," Roxas mutters under his breath, though I'm not sure if the others heard. He then raises his voice and says, "Terra decided that we shouldn't just sit around and wait for something to happen any longer than we have already. We're going to move against him as of now. Sora, remember what you told us about when you accidently wandered into his lab? We're going to try and stop him from employing the clones before they become a threat. After all that's happened with us, we're not taking any more chances." Here Roxas spares a glance in my direction, though it's so fleeting that I can't really tell.

Sora doesn't say anything for a second. I'm not too good at reading people's expressions yet, but I think he looks a bit…annoyed.

"When are you leaving for that place, exactly?" Sora finally asks. There's an indicative edge in the question, like he is trying to get Roxas to take the hint.

"The day after tomorrow." Roxas misses the hint. Sucks to be him. "We still have to prepare; it's not like we're marching in on it in ten minutes."

Luckily, Ventus doesn't. "Um, Roxas, you do realize that…Sora's not going to be able to…you know…"

"What?" Roxas looks lost for a moment before making an _oh-crap_ face. "Oh, right. Sorry, Sora; I didn't realize that –"

Sora sighs like this is a common occurrence. "Never mind; forget about it. It's happened before, and it wasn't your fault. Well, except for the first time."

He shoots a reproving glance at Ventus, who flushes at the statement.

"Hey, how many times do I have to tell you that it wasn't _me_ that did that?" he protested, looking flustered. "And what's with that look; I thought you'd forgiven me!"

Sora laughs at his awkwardness, which seems kind of mean, but he could be just teasing. "Easy there, Ven. Just messing with you," he says lightly. "I guess one of my friends trying to kill me is an everyday thing for me. I'm used to it."

I'm dumbfounded. "You're used to having your best friends try to kill you?!" I exclaim incredulously. "That's –"

"Crazy. I know that. As you probably realize by now, this isn't the first time I nearly died." Sora stretches his arms toward the ceiling then winces in pain. "Ow. Man, I hate this. Roxas, can't you tell the medics to just give me an Elixir or something? I'm sick of waiting in bed!"

"You think I haven't tried that?" Roxas retorts acidly. "They won't let you. Your injuries are too severe."

"But I'm pretty much healed up now! Why can't they just finish the job nice and quick so I won't have to deal with this?"

"Quit complaining, Sora. Even magic potions can't replace lost blood, you know."

Sora sighs in irritation and flops back down onto his bed. "This is so _annoying_," he grumbles. "I never get to do anything anymore. I can't even go along on this mission because of my stupid injuries, and you're getting all the fun."

I'm not really paying attention to the conversation (not that I knew what they were talking about, anyway). Frankly, I'm horrified by what Sora had just said – waving away his close brush with death just like it was any normal occurrence? What possessed him to act like that? Was risking his life something he did on a daily basis?

"You know, it isn't exactly our fault that you can't come along," Roxas says critically, almost scolding him. "You just throw yourself into those situations without thinking and force us to go along with it. You think last time was an exception?"

"I wasn't expecting to be hurt _quite_ that badly, you know."

"Still your fault. And besides, you're arguing against yourself. You just basically said yourself that you're impulsive."

"I don't know what impulsive even _means_."

"Sora, you're crazy," I blurt out suddenly, causing the three of them to look at me questioningly. "How can you brush off something like this like it's nothing? Is it normal for you to battle to the death? That's insane! You're insane!"

"Well, in his case," Ventus cuts in, "he sort of can. He's not like the rest of us."

That's probably important information, but I ignore it. "That's no excuse!" I say angrily. "I can't let my brother put his life on the line so casually!"

Roxas raises a hand in order to call me down. "Listen, Ryusei, we understand that. Seriously, we do. That's why we're not letting him go with us this time. But Sora really is different – it's his destiny to fight evil. I know it sounds horribly cliché and cheesy, but it's the honest truth. Sora couldn't avoid it if he tried and, quite honestly, trouble usually finds him first."

"Hey!" Sora protests as he abruptly sits up again.

"What? I'm only telling it like it is."

"Roxas, I swear, once I get out of this bed –"

"Okay!" I interrupt. "I get it. I get it now, so quit fighting."

The truth is, I don't. I'm still trying to grasp it, trying to make it all make sense. But I can't. Maybe I'm thinking a little too hard on this subject, because the sharp pangs in my forehead return with a vengeance. I wince and clasp my forehead to try and ease the pain, but it's not working very well.

Roxas notices my discomfort and asks, "Hey, you okay? What's the matter?"

I curse under my breath. "None of this is making sense," I mutter, injecting more frustration into my voice than I'd intended. "I don't know half of what's going on, no one ever tells me anything, and trying to figure it out on my own gives me these stupid migraines." I stare at the polished marble floor. "It's not fair."

Part of me knows that I'm acting like a kid, but I don't care. I have good reason to feel this way. No one likes being left in the dark. Not even zombie-like amnesiac people. Sora is my _brother_, for goodness' sakes. He shouldn't be keeping secrets from me like this.

Sora looks at me then turns his gaze to his hands, eyebrows furrowed, like he is thinking hard about something. Then, still staring at his hands, he finally says, "You know something…Ryusei's got a point. It's unfair that he's kept in the dark about everything. I mean, you two know what I'm talking about, right?" He directs this question to Roxas and Ventus, who suddenly have guilty expressions on their faces. "As you know, the results of that failed communication didn't turn out all that pretty for either of you. You don't want something like that happening to my brother, do you?"

I'm mystified. Sora is acting…_mature_. Not only that, but he's actually backing me up. Granted, I'm not really sure what he's basing this argument on, but judging from the expressions on both Roxas's and Ventus's faces, I don't think this is a topic I can ask freely on.

"Tell you what," Sora goes on, taking advantage of their brief hesitation. "Here's an idea. Let Ryusei go along with you in my place. That way, he'll know first-hand."

This time it's Ventus and Roxas who look surprised. Well, Roxas looks surprised, at least.

"Hang on a second, I don't think that's such a good idea," Roxas warns him after regaining his composure. "If you haven't noticed –"

"Of course he's noticed!" Ventus counters him. "He wouldn't tell us to take him otherwise, right?"

I look to Sora for answers. He looks confident in what he'd just proposed, which makes me think that maybe he doesn't have his priorities quite straight yet. How does he expect me to go along with these two into some underground lab on a death mission? I'd be a goner in five seconds flat!

I think Sora noticed my shock, because he says firmly, "Listen, Ryusei. If you want to know what's going on – and by all means, you deserve to know – you have to go with them. We're in a situation where words can't be used to explain, and you need to see it first-hand, like I said earlier, in order to understand better. Not only that; it'll catch him off-guard."

Roxas rubs his chin in a thoughtful way. "I see what you're saying now," he says slowly. "If Ryusei comes with us, he'll be completely taken by surprise. He thinks that you're dead now, doesn't he? It's a great way to hurt his ego. Not a half-bad idea, coming from you."

"I've heard enough of those comments," Sora retorts, his voice acerbic. "Quit assuming I'm a hopeless moron."

"Hold it just one second!" I protest desperately. My head begins to pound again but I ignore it. "Let me get everything straight here! Who thinks you're dead?"

All three of them turned to me.

"The guy who's behind every bad thing that's happened to us recently," Sora says flatly. "A guy named Vanitas."

"Vanitas…" Unmistakable fear rose in my chest when I heard the name, nearly suffocating me. I can feel my skin getting cold and clammy. I'm sure I never heard the name before, but hearing it frightened me anyhow. Not just frightened – angered, too. Rage was there, burning hotly in my chest, though I wasn't sure why. I don't really know what my face started to look like, but both Roxas and Ventus have this _oh-no-we-shouldn't-have_ expression.

"Hey, you feeling okay?" Ventus asks me in a concerned tone. I can swear I hear guilt in his voice somewhere, like whatever is ailing me right now was his fault. I couldn't see how though, since Ventus is _unfailingly_ nice. Maybe I'm just overthinking things.

"Yeah. I'm – I'm fine," I say, hugging myself. "Just…doesn't sound like a very nice person, that's all."

They still look guilty, and I can't blame them, honestly. How were they supposed to know I would react like that?

"Don't worry about it," I try to reassure them. "I mean, it's scary enough to hear the name of someone who wants my brother dead and he nearly did kill him several times before. I'm…" I really don't know how to say this. "I guess I'm more…afraid _for_ Sora than of Vanitas. I'm only worried." Roxas and Ventus are both giving me somewhat awed looks, and I shift uncomfortably in my seat. "I mean, isn't that normal?"

Silence hangs heavily in the air for about a minute. Then Sora speaks up unexpectedly.

"Well, that's perfectly normal," he says, looking at me with a fierce light in his eyes. "It's normal to worry about your family, but you don't need to worry about me. I'll be just fine. Go with them without concerning yourself over me."

I hesitate. "But –"

"I know you can do it, little bro. You'll be great! I believe in you. Don't forget, you have your Keyblade, too. And if you run into any trouble, then you'll have friends there who can help you out."

I blink in surprise. I'd never thought of things that way before. I didn't really think of them as friends – I'm not very well-acquainted with any of the people I've met here. But right when Sora said it like that, it felt more believable, more real.

"…Okay," I say uncertainly. "I'll – do my best, Sora."

Sora claps me on the shoulder from his position on the bed. His hand is still colder than it should be, but his old confident smile makes me feel better. He looks to Roxas and Ventus beseechingly and says, "Good luck you guys; you'll need it. And watch out for him, okay?"

"We'll keep an eye on him," Roxas assures him. "He'll be fine."

I'm a little miffed, since they were treating me like a kid that needed to be chaperoned. I guess it makes a little bit of sense, since I have no idea what I'll be walking into. But will it kill them to have at least a _little_ bit of confidence in me? Just a little bit?

"Well, we should be going now," Ventus ventures. "We're going to need to go and see Terra. He's going to be giving us a, a whatchamacallit – a briefing before we head out. Ryusei, you should come with us. You'll need to hear it, too."

I get up reluctantly. "R-right. Got it." I look to Sora one last time imploringly, who gives me a thumbs-up.

"You'll do great," he promises me. "Good luck."

"We'll be seeing you later, Sora," Roxas says as he leaves ahead of us. "If the medics give you the okay the day after tomorrow, we'll see you at the last meeting."

Sora raises a hand in farewell. "You bet. See ya."

* * *

><p><em>Sora's becoming quite the mentor to Ryusei in this fic, no? Too bad it won't last that long. **COUGHSPOILERSCOUGH**<em>

_Oh Lord, this fic is almost over. D: After pretty much over a year, this fanfiction is coming to a close! Just two chapters left!_

_This chapter was my hand at first-person present…yeah, I'm never doing this again. Anyway, I hope you liked this all the same…because my next fic is pretty much guaranteed to generate hate (or maybe I'm reading into it too much), but I don't care. I'm not hiding it anymore, darnit!_

_Sorry, I'll shut up now. Read and review, you know the drill. :P_


	22. The Secret Fuse

_Hey, look! Is that finally an update?_

_Yes, yes it is. I'm sorry I took so long to update. Certain things were distracting me (Damn you, Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's…). I promise, I'll update again soon and start my new one I have ready and on standby. Yeah, it's gonna be another Kingdom Hearts fic, but it's a _crossover_ fic. :P What I'm crossing it over with, you'll discover once I put up the story. Though I don't think it'll be much of a surprise once you see it._

_Anyhoways! Enjoy this one! Second to last chapter, whoo! The hate is building!_

**Ch. 21: The Secret Fuse**

**Ryusei**

Terra was intimidating. Like, _really_ intimidating.

Ventus had assured me that it was only because of his face, and that he was actually a pretty cool guy, but that didn't make my trepidation go away by any amount. In fact I think it became worse.

Anyway, it was two days later, and Terra was running through a final one of those briefings, although this one was called a "debrief" since it was just a really, really short recap of what we were to do right before we were to do it. Why not just call this a briefing, too? Why make things so complicated?

…Sorry. Back on track.

Terra was giving us a briefing – sorry, I mean _debrief_ – of our assignment. It wasn't hard understanding what needed to be done. The problem was actually pulling it off, at least on my part. No matter how many times I was reminded of what I needed to do once we headed out, I still had this grain of doubt somewhere in my chest. I'd only agreed since Sora had put me up to it against my will and I was afraid of making him mad. I was feeling that doubt even now.

Oh, and speaking of 'we', that's not all of us. It was actually going to be a scouting/sabotage mission, which meant that only a couple of us were going out there first and checking out the situation, report back to the ones "holding down the fort" (which was probably just professional-speak for 'staying behind') and going on with the mission on our own afterward. A party of three (what's up with all these weird names for everything?) consisting of me, Roxas and Riku would be the ones actually doing the heavy lifting. Terra had picked out the other two personally because they were the closest to Sora as far as relationships went. Also, it would be the people that Vanitas guy would most likely expect – at least, it would seem that way to him, because I wouldn't be who he thought I was.

I didn't know who Vanitas was, but thinking about him made me angry. I chalked it up to the reason being that Sora was nearly killed by him (he was the guy that had tried to attack me apparently) because of me. Honestly, that's a good reason for anyone to be mad when thinking about a certain person.

After the debriefing the three of us were to leave immediately. As I listened I picked at the zipper of Sora's vest. If we were to fool Vanitas thoroughly, I was going to have to dress like Sora, too, and to be honest I hadn't exactly been hot with that idea. Wearing all black didn't seem too smart since we were about to head into a desert. But it was necessary for the deception, so I'd rescinded, kind of reluctantly.

"…and that should cover everything," Terra finally said. "Any questions?"

"I've got one," Sora grumped, tapping his foot irritably. "Why am I stuck as backup?"

Oh, right, Sora was here too. Forgot to mention that. Yeah, those medics gave him the clear so he was allowed to listen in on the plan, but he wasn't allowed to actually actively partake in it due to Terra's insistence. I silently agreed with him – I didn't want Sora getting hurt again right after he got out of the hospital. Especially because of me.

"Like I said," Terra enunciated in a put-upon tone, "this is your first day out of bed, and you need to take it easy for the next couple days. You're lucky we're letting you in on this at all, so stop with the complaining."

Terra finished with a hard look, but Sora looked unperturbed. Quite a feat in my opinion – I was recoiling from that expression and he wasn't even directing it at me.

But I guess even Sora realized that he would lose this argument either way.

"Ugh, fine." Sora crossed his arms and pouted. I could also swear that he rolled his eyes, but I couldn't tell for sure. "Yeesh, it's total déjà vu."

"All right then, that's that," Terra concluded. "Good luck, you three."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Roxas, can I ask you a question?"<p>

"Sure. Fire away."

"Um, how are we getting to that lab, exactly?"

The three of us were outside now, out in the castle courtyard. I'd tried to look for a means of transportation to our destination – like one of those Gummi ships that Sora used – but I saw nothing. So naturally this confused me.

Roxas's eyes suddenly twinkled. "Glad you asked that, Ryusei. To answer your question, we're going through a portal."

"A portal?" I repeated, confused. "So like…we're teleporting there?"

"Sort of but not quite," Riku supplied from out of nowhere. "You'll see once it's open."

"Um…"

"Oh right, and this," Riku added as he pulled out what looked like a black trench coat with a hood. "You'll need to wear this before we go through the portal. Just as a precautionary measure." He handed it to me, and I took it. It was lighter than it looked. It didn't look like it would protect me from much of anything. It just looked like an ordinary coat.

"Uh…" I let the coat unfurl in my hands as I held it in arm's length and looked it over. "Precaution against what?"

Riku grinned. "You'll see."

"Okay…" I gotta be honest here – it was weird being with Riku. I barely knew him (what else is new) but I did know that Sora called him his best friend. He was nice, I guess, but there was something about him that I couldn't adequately explain, and I can't exactly describe that feeling as good.

"Hurry and put them on," Roxas cut into my thoughts, looking somewhat anxious. "We don't have much time."

Riku and I both shrugged on the coats. I noticed that Roxas wasn't making a move to wear one. Roxas saw my expression and understood immediately.

"Oh, don't worry about me," he told me. "I'll be fine. I'm the one opening the portal, after all."

My face probably looked even more confused at this. "You are?" I asked. "How –"

Roxas held out a hand, and a huge black pillar of shadow billowed out of thin air. It smoked somewhat along its edges, and the front of it was just flowing, inky black. My reaction was more or less like the one I had two days ago when Sora showed me the Keyblade.

"Holy –" I staggered back a little out of pure shock. "What is –"

"It's just something he does," Riku put in. "He can open these things called corridors of darkness to move quickly between different places."

"Corridors…of darkness?"

"Yeah. Don't question it; it's easier on your head that way."

I stood there like an idiot for a second; then I frowned. "Geez, what's up with all these people making things magically appear out of nowhere?"

"Let's not broach that subject," Roxas suggested. "It'll trigger another headache, and we all know how much you _love_ those."

Sarcasm. That was sarcasm, right? Yeah, I think it was. "Duly noted."

"Just go ahead and go on through. I can't keep this corridor open forever."

"All right," Riku said finally before turning to me. "Come on, Ryusei. Just follow me." With that he disappeared into the blackness. I hesitated briefly before following.

The first impression I had of the portal – cold. I felt like I'd just walked through a curtain of ice-cold air. The next thing I noticed was that for a split second everything was black, and I couldn't see anything. When both the cold and the black cleared, I was in a really strange place that I couldn't describe even if I wanted to.

I looked back to where I'd come in from, and I saw Roxas fade into existence right behind me, like an invisible ghost becoming visible, then solid. He closed the entrance as he came in.

"All right then," Roxas said as he jogged up to me. "Let's keep going. The exit is at the other end."

"What?"

Roxas pointed over my shoulder to a huge greenish portal. "Over that way. Riku's already there."

"Hurry, you two!" he called insistently. "No time to lose!" Then he immediately ran through the opening and vanished. The two of us wasted no time and followed after him.

When we emerged out of the other end, I was confused at first. "Uh, Roxas? You said that we were headed to a lab, right?" I asked.

"That's right."

"Then, why are we in the middle of the desert with no building in sight?"

We were – quite literally – in the middle of nowhere. It was a huge expanse of sand, dead plants, and a couple rocks. Not much else than that. I was beginning to think that we came out of the wrong opening, maybe, in a hurry to get to our destination. I was pretty surprised when Roxas found it in him to laugh.

"We _are_ at the lab," he said. "Just not _in_ it."

"Yeah, that clears everything up."

"Trust me on this one; the lab really is here."

"Where, then?"

"Over there," Riku again answered unexpectedly. He pointed out a nondescript building the size of a toolshed some distance away. How had I missed that?

I looked the building over fleetingly. It didn't look like much. But why did I get the feeling of dread just looking at it? There was another feeling there, too – something familiar.

"Hey, guys?" I said, looking to Roxas and Riku in turn. "I've got another question before we head in, if you don't mind."

"What's up?" Riku asked.

"I just want to know something…have I been here before?"

Both of them tensed like I shouldn't have asked the question, though I wasn't sure why. I was only asking to be surer of who I was and where I've been. That's what people who've lost their memories do right? They try to line up whatever pieces that they can scrounge up, which was what I was doing. Besides, this feeling of familiarity and – what had Sora called it? Déjà vu? – wasn't a fluke. I just wanted to be sure.

A tumbleweed blew past us.

"Uh, guys?" I said after a time. "Am I gonna get an answer, or…is this information somehow confidential?"

"Ryusei, you can't have been here," Roxas answered me in a controlled voice, which I found odd. "You hardly even left your house. You sure you're feeling alright?"

I sighed and shook my head. "Not so sure anymore," I admitted. "Know what, never mind. Forget I said anything."

Riku assessed the situation briefly before speaking. "Well then, maybe we should head in now. We lost quite a bit of time."

"Right," Roxas said weakly, whatever fortification he had had in his tone crumbling away. "We should."

Riku opened the door to the toolshed and stepped inside. Roxas followed immediately, leaving me alone. I took that brief moment of solitude to vow a silent mission – a mission to figure what this strange feeling meant on my own, even if it meant I had to stray from them in this one sabotage assignment, before following after them.

* * *

><p>The lab we were supposed to infiltrate? It was underground. I wished someone had explained to me sooner. Now I felt silly for complaining about wearing dark clothes in the desert. It was pretty cool down here, in fact, like it was being air conditioned.<p>

When I got down there (there had been a hatch leading underground in that tiny building) Roxas and Riku were waiting for me. Riku was taking off the coat, so I decided to do the same thing. We wouldn't need them down here. At least, I didn't think we would, since Riku didn't seem to think so. While I was taking off the coat, I decided to take proper stock of my surroundings.

It was pretty dark down here (duh, we were underground) but there were enough lights hanging from the ceiling to at least see the way. The tiles on the ground were rough, but smooth enough to not impede our steps too much. From what I could see, there were random hallways cutting through what I took to be the main corridor. We were standing in a small pocket of bright light in this otherwise dark place at the beginning of this huge passage.

I also should mention that I didn't like the vibe coming from this place. It was ominous, overbearing, and generally not very friendly. I could definitely see why this was our enemy's base of operation. And, to be frank, I was already starting to hate this place even though I hadn't even been here that long.

Roxas cursed under his breath. "Man, I almost forgot how much I really don't like it here."

"Well, we didn't exactly come here to enjoy ourselves, Roxas," Riku said as he put his coat away and proceeded to do the same with my own.

"I know that. I'm only thinking out loud."

"You guys have been here before?" I asked.

"Yeah," Roxas said, his eyes narrowing at some unpleasant memory. "Wasn't exactly a picnic trip."

I stared. "Say what now?"

"Never mind. But we did come here before, on a different mission. That one kind of succeeded. Let's hope this one does too."

I curbed my curiosity and didn't ask for details. He looked uncomfortable enough talking about it in the first place. "Fine," I said. "Which way do we go now?"

"No need to worry about that," Riku assured me. "Just follow my lead."

Riku then took several paces forward, prompting me and Roxas to trail after him. We cut into so many side paths that I eventually lost track of what was right and what was left. Riku seemed to know where he was going, though, and Roxas wasn't stopping him from going a certain direction or another. I took it to mean that we were probably going the right direction.

After what seemed like ages we came across a dead end, except it really wasn't. There was a huge gray door with a small window at the end of this final corridor, and I could see a faint glow coming from the other side. We stopped in front of it, and though it seemed like it was the right place, Riku frowned.

"There's something different about this place from the last time we were here," he noted grimly. "I don't like it."

"It's too quiet," Roxas agreed, looking around furtively. "The atmosphere is different this time around…"

I looked at them, confused. There was something wrong about this place, they said…but didn't this place already have 'wrong' written all over it? I turned my attention back to the glow coming from the window, and an image flashed into my mind – one I didn't recognize. Then it was followed by another one, and another one…until my mind was filled to the brim with these strange mental pictures:

_Facing Sora's friends in a huge room, with someone bringing Sora to his knees._

_Standing in the barren desert, facing off against a physically taxed Sora._

_A dark silhouette reaching out, grabbing me, and chaining me to the wall._

I gasped, burying my face in my hand. I closed my eyes to try and make these images go away. It didn't work. My headache kicked in after a minute, then abruptly went up several notches like it was making up for the time it had been gone, and it didn't help at all. I put both my hands on my head to try and ease the pain, but it wouldn't relent. Compounded with these strange visions of events I didn't recognize on top of this, it got so bad I fell to one knee.

This didn't escape Riku and Roxas.

"Ryusei!" Roxas's voice sounded so fuzzy and faraway I almost couldn't recognize it. "What's wrong? Say something!"

I wanted to answer him. But I couldn't find my voice.

"Talk to us, Ryusei!" I could hear Riku demanding. "What's happening?"

I wanted so badly to answer, to tell him what was happening, to ask him what was going on, but my voice failed me. A fresh wave of pain kicked in, forcing me down to two. I felt someone gripping my shoulders, but I didn't know who. I tried to breathe, but it was ragged. It was a few minutes before I could muster up any kind of strength.

"C'mon, Ryusei! Hang in there!"

I didn't know how I managed to with my gasping, but I finally answered them. Or, at least say something at all. I removed one hand and it found something to grab a hold of – someone's arm; I couldn't tell whose. Doing that made me notice that my hands were ridiculously sweaty.

"Ryusei?" Roxas pleaded frantically. "What's going on? What's happening? Your palms are so slippery!"

So it was his. I barely registered that in my mind before gasping, "I…I don't know…I can't…m-my head, it's –"

Right then more images flashed in and out of my head:

_Lying on the damp ground of a dark jungle, unable to move._

_Crying, not knowing what it is, with Sora and Roxas next to me._

_Sora bleeding to death on a white marble floor, crimson against ivory._

_Me standing over the half-dead Sora, a blood-coated Keyblade in hand._

I must've cried out at some point, because I heard Roxas shout, "_Ryusei!_" in a panic.

"Get him away from the door!" I heard Riku yell. "Now!"

I could feel one of them hoisting me up and slinging me onto his back. Then I could feel him running from the movements he was making. I still couldn't see anything but these crazy mental pictures. If that wasn't enough, I started to hear Sora's voice in my head, saying things I've never heard him say.

"_I just want you to know…that you have a place…but it's not here."_

"_I'm not going anywhere. You can count on it."_

"…_it's the worst feeling, isn't it? That's why I hate seeing people cry. But there are times when…you need to let it out."_

"_I'm sorry. But that's one favor…I can't fulfill."_

That last word was ringing in my mind when I finally came to my senses. My eyes snapped open and I let out a startled gasp before catching my breath. I was sitting against the wall in a different passageway, both Roxas and Riku kneeling over me.

"Ryusei," Roxas said, his voice saturated with relief. "Thank God. You're all right."

I wasn't so sure about that. My head wasn't hurting anymore but those images haunted me, as well as the words in my head. I'd never felt so confused, and since I spent most of my time being confused, that was saying a lot. I was also severely shaken up inside, unsettled by what I'd seen. What _were_ those images?

Riku lowered his voice. "So, what happened to you, Ryusei? What made you act like that?"

"I…" I shuddered. "I don't know. I looked at the door, and –and these strange images just appeared in my mind. I – I have no idea what just happened to me. But…those images…I saw so many weird things…I was in a huge room, and this same desert, and back at the castle and…in all of them, I was hurting Sora!" I looked at them wildly. "Guys, you've got to tell me. I've got to know. _What did I see? What did I do?_"I covered my face with my hands in grief. "Just who am I? I'm so – so lost!"

"I'm sorry, Ryusei…" I heard Roxas say my name in such a pained voice that I had to lift my head to see his expression. It was filled with regret. "I knew we shouldn't have brought you along. I should've known that it would come down to something like this. It was inevitable.

"But since it came up, I'll tell you. What you saw…were probably your memories coming back. Memories of all the things that happened to you before you woke up at the castle without having a clue who you were."

"But…but how? I don't…"

A new voice interrupted out of nowhere, "Who cares? As far as I'm concerned you won't need to know."

Great. Just great. This was exactly what I needed right now while I was so messed up inside. There was a person right behind Roxas and Riku, and the two of them tensed once they whirled around on the spot and saw who it was.

"Vanitas!" Riku growled.

Vanitas wasn't like anything like I'd expected. He was in some weird bodysuit that looked disturbingly like exposed muscle. But that wasn't the freakiest thing about this guy. Other than the black hair and golden eyes, he had the exact same face as me and Sora.

"Thought I'd fall for you little trick, did you?" Vanitas drawled teasingly. "You should have known better. What do you think I am, an idiot? I know more about that thing than you can ever imagine. I'm kind of glad that I abandoned my old project. It probably would have been this little prototype times ten."

Neither Riku nor Roxas had a response to this for several seconds. What did this guy mean?

At last Riku managed to choke out, "You did _what_?!"

Vanitas ignored him. "Well, anyway. Back to business." He eyed me with amusement, like I was an innocent puppy who didn't realize what kind of trouble he was getting himself into (well, I guess I technically _was_ in that position). "It's been a while since we've seen each other, hasn't it?"

I gritted my teeth. I guess that was true, judging from what I saw in those images in my head, but it's not like I actually remembered. "So what?"

"I never thought for one second that you'd turn out like this. You, actually talking to these people like they're your _friends_." He spat the word like a curse. It was disturbing, seeing as he kept his creepy grin. "They even gave you a name. As if you'll ever belong with them. You're an outcast, a freak. A nobody, like little Roxas here, only you actually exist. You never belonged anywhere. What makes you think that'll change now?"

My eyes widened. My friends had actually _given_ me a name? And what did he mean when he called Roxas a _nobody_?

"What are you talking about?" I demanded.

"Oh, so I guess they didn't tell you the truth, did they?" Vanitas crooned. "Poor little thing. Here you are blindly accepting the lies that these morons feed to you as the truth."

"What are you saying?" My head started to hurt again. "What lies?"

"Well, if you're so curious, why don't you ask these friends of yours? I'm sure they're just _dying_ to illuminate you."

"Ryusei, why are you even listening to him?!" Riku shouted, making me jump. "You shouldn't believe anything that comes out of this snake's lips!"

Vanitas recoiled in mock horror. He still had that mocking smile. "Ooh, how _cold_. Don't say such harsh things, Riku; I wouldn't hurt a flea."

"Save your lies," Roxas ordered harshly. "It's all empty air."

"About as empty as the space you take up, Mr. Nobody. How's the 'not real' business going for you?" Vanitas smirked.

Roxas gritted his teeth and his lips pulled back into a snarl. It was at that moment I realized that I'd never actually seen him angry before. The scariest part wasn't the expression itself – it was the fact that it didn't look out of place on his face. Roxas probably would've charged at him without a second thought, but fortunately, Riku was there to restrain him.

"Quit your mind games, Vanitas," he said coldly, summoning his own Keyblade shaped like a bat's wing. "You know it won't work on us."

"Probably not," he agreed, which immediately put me on guard. "But what about your little pet?" Vanitas shot a glance in my direction and a chill ran down my spine. "I can feel his confusion and doubt. He doesn't know what to believe right now. Isn't that right, _Ryusei_?"

He had me backed up against the wall in all senses of the term. I didn't know how to refute this. I did feel confused. I didn't know what to believe. I wanted answers so desperately. I wanted to know who I really was. But I didn't know who I should listen to in order to get the answers I wanted. Was Vanitas actually telling the truth? Could my friends have been lying to me? Could…could _Sora_ have been lying?

I shook my head sharply. No way. Sora would never lie to me. Even if the rest of his friends were, I knew he wouldn't. And even if he did, he would have a good reason to be. It wasn't in his nature to lie about something as important as this. I didn't know how I knew, but I was absolutely sure about it. I used the wall behind me and struggled to push myself up into a standing position before glaring at Vanitas.

"I might not know what exactly is going on," I said strongly, "but I know that these people wouldn't lie to me. And if they are, then fine. Let them keep lying. I know they're doing it for my own good. You can't trick me with your words, Vanitas. Not unless I actually find a good reason to stop trusting them!"

"Of course, what was I thinking. You _should_ wait until you find a reason…to finally see that you were wrong in putting your faith in such liars in a way that it'll completely _break_ _you_!" In a flash of purple fire, a dark-themed Keyblade appeared in his hand and Vanitas poised to attack. Ugh, when did this psychotic freak have _this_ ability? Didn't Sora say that only certain people could use them? It seemed to me that everyone I met had one of these giant sword keys.

Roxas was still in battle mode from Vanitas's gripe earlier. "Oh, if you want a fight, you've got one," he snarled. "I'll make sure you wish you never existed!"

Then he proceeded to bring out not one, but _two_ Keyblades – one pure black, and one blindingly white. I thought I was getting used to the whole Keyblade-appearing-out-of-thin-air thing, but seeing two at once of course knocked that assumption down to size. Geez.

"Ryusei." Riku's voice shocked me out of my inner thoughts. "Are you feeling better?"

"Y-yeah," I answered. "I feel a lot better now."

"That's good." Then he turned his head to look at me and I could see his eyes gleam. "You think you're up for a fight, then?"

I blinked, not sure if I heard that right. "Wait. What?"

"Do you think you have enough energy to help us take Vanitas down?

I was extremely flustered. "Well, I've got the energy, but I –"

"Bring out your Keyblade, then. Sora told me you can use one now."

"Sure I can bring it out," I began frantically, "but that doesn't mean that I can actually use it! I only remembered how to summon the Keyblade practically two days ago; you can't expect me to suddenly remember how to up and fight with it!"

To my incredible shock, Riku smiled in an amused way. "'Course I do. Being Sora's friend you learn a couple things. One thing you learn is that anything is possible. I even got second-hand experience on this not that long ago. Trust me on this."

The words rang in my ears. _Trust him._ That was easy enough on its own, but in a battle to the death with this crazy and cruel sadist with an identity crisis? I couldn't do that! Why couldn't he give me a break; I was a freaking amnesiac!

"C'mon, Ryusei," Roxas said unexpectedly, his eyes still locked on our adversary. "A fighting instinct is hidden in every living being. Last I checked, you're one of them. Besides, you knew how to fight before, and you were pretty good at it too. Doing this might trigger your muscle memory and bring back those skills buried inside you." He narrowed his eyes. "If you want to stand down, then that's fine. But if you decide to join in, it's do or die. Your choice."

I stood there uncomfortably. Did I really know how to fight before I lost my memory? And if that were true, had I actually been a good fighter? I didn't know whether I should believe him or not on this one, since it did mean life or death in this situation and I wasn't about to risk mine for no reason.

But then I remembered who Vanitas was and what he done: he was evil to the core, and he'd tried to kill Sora and my other friends multiple times. After that influx of images in my head from earlier, I had probably done the same thing to him too, if they were anything to judge by. Those images that Roxas had called my dormant memories obviously didn't come from nowhere and decide to camp out in my head until the right time. I really _might_ have tried to hurt Sora on multiple occasions – who knew. But I did know that Vanitas was actively trying to end his life, while I didn't know the circumstances behind the images I'd seen so I wasn't able to properly judge. At least, not yet.

And as far as I was concerned, this was a good chance for making Vanitas pay for what he did and tried to do to Sora. Besides, it was better safe than sorry. I stepped forward, in between Roxas and Riku, and stated firmly, "In that case, I'm in."

"Good to know you'll be fighting with us, then," Riku said, grinning for a brief second before the expression dropped off his face. "Listen, I know you have a lot of questions for us about the images you saw in your head before. Once this is all over, we'll explain everything. I promise. I'll only be hoping that you won't hold our reasons against us."

"Don't worry about that," I said in reply. "I'm sure your reasons are, well, reasonable. And I'm sure Sora was the one who put you guys up to it, am I right?"

Riku sighed. "Well, I guess it's natural to be able to read Sora like a book. He's pretty straightforward."

"No kidding." I willed the Ultima Weapon to come to me and it flashed into existence in my outstretched hand. "You've got a lot of answering to do later."

When Vanitas saw the weapon materialize in my hand, a sneer of recognition crossed his face. The shadows from the dim lights in the corridor almost made him look deranged.

"So it seems that you can still use the Keyblade," he said. "I'd so love to see how much of your skill with that blade you've retained first-hand!"

Vanitas charged at me.

* * *

><p><em>Late update is late! I'm so sorry! x( I hope you've forgiven me after reading this! I swear I'll finish this series by Christmas; I swear! As soon as Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's decides to stop taking a front seat in my mind! (Or the Internet; either one works!) Next chapter, definitely be up as your Christmas present! Or even better, my new series as a Christmas present! Please bear with me, okay? Besides the anime I'm in a pretty hectic situation right now! ;A;<em>

_Anyway, about this chapter. Quite a bit happened, didn't it? Well, it's the perfect setup for the next and final chapter. If you like Ryusei now…you will curse me all the way down to the Underworld and into the depths of Tartarus come next chapter. He is _not_ going to be treated well in it. But hey, it's my fic. Just gotta deal with it! :P_

_The update will be soon! I promise! If possible, maybe within next week! ^^ Thank you for reading, and it would be awesome if you reviewed! I'll love you forever!_


	23. Non Plus Ultra

_This is it. The last chapter. The one all of you have been waiting for. The epic conclusion to an epic tale. The…meh, you know the drill. XD_

_Anyway, this is the final chapter of Bittersweet Journey! I can't believe it's finally come to this! As this went on I received so many new fans and wonderful reviewers! __**(Thanks to Justice333 in particular! Thanks for being such a dedicated reviewer! :D)**__ I'm glad you guys decided to follow this to the end, and (even though I know not everyone will find it so) I hope it is satisfying!_

_Now, let's get down to business!_

_(Before you read the final act [which can come off as a bit sappy to some], you _must_ take these steps. Step 1: Go to YouTube. Step 2: Search "Sadness and Sorrow" from Naruto and make sure it's the full version. Step 3: Click the video, and then listen to it as you read. If you don't do this, Ryusei _will_ find you, and he _will_ jab you with a rusty spork. You have been warned. There are three acts. Do the rest of the math.)_

**Ch. 22: Non Plus Ultra**

**Sora**

Ven and I may have been labeled as backup, but I think Terra did that just to placate us.

Neither of us was allowed to do _anything_ crazy, which was pretty much asking us to _not_ act like us. Crazy was in our blood. We couldn't not do anything with it seeming like we'd lost our minds. That wasn't any fun at all. Even though this current situation didn't really merit for that, I was still pretty ticked. Aqua had made it so that we could track the three's progress at all times and – needless to say – I couldn't just stay still after witnessing what I just saw.

But of course Terra wasn't going to hear a word about it.

"Terra, come on! You seriously can't expect me to just let that slide by!" I complained.

"Yes, I am," Terra said firmly. "Roxas and Riku aren't incompetent, and you know that. They don't need you there."

I balled my hands into fists. "Yeah, but –"

"Listen, I know what you just saw, Sora. We all saw it. I know it looked bad, but Ryusei isn't letting that bother him, is he? Just look."

I looked to the vaporous projection of the three plus Vanitas who'd just come into the picture. Riku, Roxas, and Vanitas all had their Keyblades out, and Ryusei was just now picking himself up from the ground. After a minute or three of them talking (they were so quiet that we couldn't hear) Ryusei stepped forward and summoned his own weapon. Okay, so maybe he'd gotten back on his feet, but still…

Right then, Vanitas leapt at him with killing intent. It killed me not being able to go out there and help, and me watching Vanitas go for Ryusei first without being able to do anything didn't help at all. Not to mention, I didn't think Ryusei remembered that he even knew how to fight. For all intents and purposes he was just a sitting duck.

Just when I thought that he was done for and I would forever blame myself for it, Ryusei managed to block Vanitas's assault as if he'd done it his whole life. They all had shocked expressions on their faces – and Ryusei was probably the one who looked the most stunned at what he'd just done. The four of them froze on the spot for an eternal split second, struggling to comprehend what they'd just seen. Then Ryusei's expression morphed from surprised to determined as he took advantage of everyone's shock by dropping his entire body beneath Vanitas's guard and striking him squarely in the gut. The blow was enough to send him flying and throw him against the opposite wall. The impact caused a crater to form where he made contact, but he still managed to land on his feet somehow. When he looked up the expression on his face was raw, feral anger.

"You bastard," Vanitas growled in his rage loud enough for us to hear. "I'll make you wish you'd never existed!"

He then proceeded to fire three supercharged shots of purple fireballs, all of them flying toward Ryusei at breakneck speed, but then Riku ran to cover him yelling, "I don't think so! Reflega!" and deflected all the shots away. Meanwhile Ryusei was breathing hard from either shock or exhaustion from launching someone like Vanitas as if he'd been a cannonball for a clear twenty yards. I don't think he even noticed that he'd almost been fried to a crisp.

While Riku was guiding him to a wall and trying to get him back to his senses, Roxas took his turn at attacking Vanitas, but unfortunately for us he wasn't a moron. He vanished from sight and Roxas cut through empty air. Before Roxas could even react, Vanitas reappeared right behind him and sliced at his back point-blank, causing him to yell out in pain as he was knocked forward onto the rough-looking floor. The blow had torn his vest and it was just barely hanging together at the back.

Roxas would've been finished right there if it hadn't been for Riku leaping in at the last minute. He threw himself at Vanitas and blocked the blow meant to disintegrate Roxas into oblivion. He then proceeded to grab Vanitas's Keyblade (which he was still holding) by the teeth with his free hand, swung him around once, and quite literally flung him backward. Vanitas landed on his feet just fine, but it gave enough time for Riku to use a potion on Roxas to get him back on his feet.

"I owe you one, Riku," Roxas panted as he struggled to his feet.

"Just watch your back from now on," Riku advised as he eyed Vanitas with vigilance.

"Very funny."

Ryusei was still standing where Riku had left him, leaning against the wall, still breathing heavily. He was staring at his hand – and by extension his Keyblade – with wide eyes. It looked like he was having a hard time coming to terms with what he'd just done to Vanitas. And we couldn't blame him for it either. The rest of us felt the same way.

"Did…did anyone else see that?" Ventus asked in shock, his eyes wide. "How did he just –"

Terra crossed his arms and frowned. "Muscle memory, most likely."

I stared at him. "Muscle memory?" I repeated. "What's that?"

"I guess you can call it a learned instinct," he said. "His mind may have forgotten how to fight, but his body remembered everything for him and reacted accordingly. That's probably what Ryusei is going through."

"His…body remembered?" That sounded so weird I initially thought he was making it up. But then again, there wasn't any other viable explanation I could find. And who was I to question Terra on that anyway? I didn't know anything.

"Well, anyway, there's no point in them being there anymore," Terra went on, staring at the projection of our friends and talking through the noise coming from it. "Vanitas apparently discarded his whole clone project, judging from what he said earlier. We should call them back before anyone gets seriously injured so we can figure out what he's really up to."

"But, isn't that kind of redundant?" I pointed out. "If he really is tossing his old plan, they should stick around and at least try to get a clue on what he's got planned next, right? At the scene of it all?"

Everyone turned to stare at me when I said that, which confused me. "What?" I asked self-consciously.

Axel crossed his arms. "You know something," he mused. "Sora's actually got a point there."

I blinked. "Um, I do?"

"Sure. I know it's a lot to risk, but if we want the upper hand on him next time we've gotta know what he's up to, don't we? I say that we let them stay on the scene for a little longer." He looked to Terra and Aqua. "What about you guys?"

Aqua pressed a hand to her face as she murmured, "I don't like this, but you could be right. We had no idea what Vanitas was up to last time, and, well…we took quite a few falls."

Terra winced. "That's true…"

"So, we're at an agreement, then." Axel grinned. "Let's leave them alone for now."

I was starting to regret opening my mouth. Darn me and my impulsiveness. Now I had to wait and watch my friends continue to get pummeled. I turned my attention back to the projection in time to see Vanitas attempting to drop down on Ryusei's head. Fortunately it seemed that Ryusei had managed to get over his surprise since he rolled away from the ambush so fast that I almost missed it. He came up from the roll on one knee, prepared to leap at him again.

As I kept watching, I started to feel a bit more reassured. Maybe it really would be okay for them. Sure, nothing was there for them to actually sabotage, but they could just buy enough time to maybe discover his next plan, and even get out of there in time. Then we could regroup and re-strategize.

But of course, something bad _had_ to happen at the moment I thought that.

Everything went wrong when Vanitas finally managed to catch Ryusei off-guard and strike him on the back of his head with the hilt to his Keyblade. Ryusei cried out and was knocked down onto the floor face-first, his Keyblade clattering out of his reach and vanishing. He didn't move.

We all gasped in horror.

"Ryusei!" I heard Roxas cry in panic.

"Roxas, focus!" Riku warned him as he ran toward Ryusei. "I've got him. You handle Vanitas!"

Unfortunately Ryusei was sprawled on the ground behind Vanitas, so Riku was forced to stop running and wait until Roxas covered him before he could get any closer. When Vanitas was properly occupied, Riku barreled toward where Ryusei lay. I waited with bated breath as Riku drew close. Right as Riku got near him, Ryusei was pushing himself up onto his hands and knees.

"You okay, Ryusei?" Riku asked as he reached out toward him.

At that moment I started having a sense of foreboding. Something didn't feel right here. As my trepidation grew, I began to fear for Riku more than Ryusei.

"No!" I shouted right as he was about to touch Ryusei's shoulder, even though I knew that he couldn't hear me. "Riku, get away from him!"

It was no use; Riku couldn't hear me. His hand flinched when Ultima Weapon reappeared in Ryusei's hand, but he couldn't react fast enough when Ryusei suddenly knocked him away with it. At first I thought I was imagining it, but as he was getting to his feet, Ryusei's entire body seemed to be getting darker. Somehow I knew what was going to happen.

"This is _not_ good!" I turned to Terra wildly. "Terra, I need to go there!"

Terra was surprised. "What are you –"

"There's no time to explain! Please let me go!" I pleaded desperately.

"Sora, you can't go there now!" Aqua protested, obviously unsettled by my strange behavior. "You're not in any condition to be heading into a fight! You don't even know what's going on!"

"I don't care about that!" I insisted. "Look, you don't get it. I _do_ know what's happening, and I need to go there and stop it! I need to help Ryusei! If I don't, I'll lose him forever!"

"But you still –"

"_Would you just listen to me for once?!_" I finally screamed at them. All the frustration and helplessness that I'd been holding in all this time since all this crazy stuff started just began pouring out of me. "Quit trying to protect me! I don't need it! I know what my limits are; I don't need you there to tell me! I know you're trying to be helpful but all you guys are doing right now is holding me back! I'm sick of being sidelined in moments like this! How am I supposed to protect myself when you won't even let me do that on my own?! What kind of friends won't let me go help my brother?! How would you guys feel if I tried to stop you from protecting someone you care about?! You guys don't care about getting hurt if it means protecting me, right? So why can't I throw away my own safety to protect a person that I cherish?! I don't want to lose him again like last time, and I don't care what you have to say! I'm going to save him! _Even if it kills me!_"

The silence in the air rang in the wake of my rant. All my friends were left in stunned silence when I was done.

I knew I'd been harsh. I knew it, but I didn't regret a single word I'd said because I'd meant every one of them. I _was_ tired of being sidelined. I _was_ tired of being the victim of overprotectiveness. And I was _definitely_ tired of being treated like a child, when I was only one in age. I'd experienced dangerous things before. Saving the world multiple times definitely desensitizes the feeling of self-preservation, because when it's all done and gone, you just don't care about yourself as much anymore. That's what I had done. All my friends have been involved in that in some form, even. Why had a string of a couple unfortunate events at my expense changed all that? I was still in one piece, wasn't I? I knew that being a Keyblade Master was difficult, but I never let any of the things that had happened to me bother me in the end. Why would I let that stop now?

I walked up to the magical projection hovering in the air and summoned my own personal Keyblade – the Kingdom Key. I closed my eyes, refusing to look upon what it showed, and I let my Keyblade slice through it in one smooth movement, forcing the apparition to dissipate into nothing. That action finally spurred my friends out of their shock.

Aqua looked pained. "Sora…"

"No one here is going to see any more of what's happening. Got that?" My voice shook. I still had my Keyblade in hand, and I tightened my grip on it. I stared down at the marble floor, refusing to look anyone in the eye.

"Let him go, Aqua."

The unexpected voice made me glance up. To my slight surprise, I saw that it was Ven. He stepped over to both her and Terra and gave them a pleading look.

"Please, guys," he begged, "let him go and help. I don't want him to experience what I had to because you were treating me like a kid. It isn't fair."

Neither of them knew what to say. Fortunately for me, they didn't have to, because right then there was the telltale _whoosh_ of the corridor opening behind me. I turned to see Axel standing next to it, his expression grim. He didn't say anything, but I knew what he was thinking.

He nodded.

I managed a small smile of gratitude before I ran into the portal without a backward glance.

* * *

><p>I'd wasted too much time.<p>

By the time I arrived, both Roxas and Riku were on the ground, moaning in pain. Actually, Roxas was the one doing the moaning – Riku was flat-out knocked out. There was a nasty-looking knot on the back of his head. As for Roxas, he was clutching his right side tightly, trying to stanch the bleeding coming from a nasty open wound. Not knowing how to help Riku at the moment, I ran to Roxas instead and helped him up to a sitting position.

Roxas winced before he began to say, "Sora…what're you –"

"I'll explain later," I said in clipped tones. "Just tell me what happened."

Roxas was obviously mystified, but he started talking anyway. "Well, we were fighting Vanitas three-on-one, like you were probably seeing. Then Ryusei got knocked on the back of the head and went down. When he got back up, there – there was something different about him. Something was wrong."

I hissed in disappointment. "I was afraid of that," I muttered through clenched teeth.

"He knocked down Riku," Roxas continued as if he hadn't heard me (which was probably a good thing). "Then he came for me. He got me in the side and then went after Vanitas."

At this point, since Ryusei didn't have any other target, he was going after the only other person here available for a thrashing – Vanitas. Vanitas himself took no note of me as he kept on the defensive against Ryusei's continuous assault. He actually looked like he was having a hard time fending him off, but the weird thing was that he seemed _happy_ about it.

"Yes! This is what I'm talking about!" he crowed like a madman. "Let loose your rage! Let it consume you! This is what you were made for!"

Roxas grabbed my arm urgently. "Hey, what's he talking about?" he whispered to me. "Sora?"

I bit my lip, not wanting to answer him. I did have an inkling of what he was talking about, but that didn't mean I wanted to be right. I didn't want my suspicions confirmed.

Instead I just leaned in to whisper in his ear, "I know you're not going to forgive me for this, but I'm going to be cutting in." I glanced back at the fight as I said this. Ryusei was definitely darker-toned now. I had to act fast.

Roxas sighed. "Well, it's not like I can do anything about it." He looked at me carefully. "Just watch yourself."

"Got it." Immediately I charged into the battle, Ultima Weapon in hand. I jumped in between the two, locking both blades at once in my own and then twisting it, forcing them both to break free and back away.

Vanitas was _not_ happy with me interrupting his little fight fest.

"You! What do you think you're doing?!" he growled angrily as he brandished that horrid weapon of his at me. "Don't interfere! This is not your business!"

I didn't bother with a retort. Words were wasted on this guy, anyway. I just ignored him and turned my attention to Ryusei. He was standing there limply, like a puppet on strings. His head was down so I couldn't see his face, and the less-than-stellar brightness of this place didn't help, either. When he finally raised his head and I caught a glimpse of his face, my heart skipped a couple beats.

His eyes weren't the same. Not just in color, but its expression, or lack thereof. They were a dull golden shade now and every trace of human emotion was gone – they were the eyes of an enraged animal. I couldn't stand looking at them.

His facial expression was even worse. It was emptier than his eyes, if that was even possible. His face was blank, but his eyes kept the primal rage.

My brother had turned into a monster.

"You…" My voice shook with anger and grief as I glared venomously at my adversary. "What have you done to him?"

Vanitas still looked irritated, but an amused glint flashed in his eyes. "What makes you think that I did anything?

"Don't play dumb with me, you bastard!" I shouted, turning on him in livid fury. "I saw everything that you did; I know you're the one made him like that! What did you do to him?!"

"Tch!" Vanitas straightened up and scoffed. "Fine, if you care so much about what happens to this thing, I'll tell you."

"Ryusei isn't an object!"

"Easy there, Mr. Idealist. Just let me finish." Vanitas spread out his hands. "Okay, I'll freely admit that I made your little Ryusei that way. But it's not my fault it happened now. That part of the clone was always there, from the very beginning. It's triggered in a life-or-death situation. And if you've got a brain in that head of yours, you'd realize that that was exactly what happened." His cold yellow eyes glinted. "Didn't think I would be the one to set it off for the first time, though. Oh, the sheer _irony_ of it all."

"You –" I couldn't finish the retort – partly because I couldn't think of a bad enough name to call him, and partly because Ryusei had just lunged for my neck and I had to veer out of the way. It was so close that I felt a breeze from the moving weapon on my cheeks.

I staggered a bit as I tried to regain my balance from that sudden movement. When I got my bearings back, Ryusei was standing in the spot I'd been in just a split second ago. His blade was poised as if it actually had just cut through my neck if I had still been there.

My throat felt dry. "Ryusei…"

He gave no reply. He simply readied his Keyblade again and flew at me without any regard to what he was doing or who it was he was actually attacking. Since at this point I was backed up against a corner and had nowhere to run, I thrust my own Keyblade in front of me to block the attack and used that momentum to push him away from me. In the fleeting moment where Ryusei and I had been face-to-face, I saw his eyes harden all the more. He was almost completely gone, and I realized that time and options were running out. I had to act fast, or I'd never get him back.

Vanitas laughed at this. "Well, I guess it doesn't have to be _me_ who has to fight him," he deduced. "I'll let you have your little fun with this thing you call your 'brother'. Let's see how you fare."

The ring in his voice alerted me to the fact that he was planning on running away. He would leave us for some other place in this accursed underground maze and watch the two of us fight each other from afar. Probably while laughing at us, too. I felt fresh anger flare up in my chest again, disgusted by his cowardice, when suddenly –

"You're not going anywhere!"

Roxas leapt in out of nowhere and went for Vanitas, who'd been caught by surprise by his sudden exclamation. He flung both Oathkeeper and Oblivion at him simultaneously, forcing him to divert his attention to parrying them away.

"You!" Vanitas growled at Roxas.

"Roxas?!" I uttered in disbelief as he re-summoned both Keyblades into his hands. "How – what –"

"Elixir," he explained as he fell into a battle stance and trained his eyes on Vanitas to make sure he didn't try to make a getaway. "Almost forgot that I had them. I was going to give some to Riku, too, but…well, time is of the essence here if you want to save Ryusei." He glanced at me sideways and grinned. "Anyway, need some backup?"

I managed to chuckle weakly. "You're a lifesaver, Roxas."

Roxas nodded once in response, and went straight for Vanitas, who had fortunately forgotten what he was about to do. He glowered at Roxas like he was some pesky fly as he flew at him at the same time. Their blades met it midair, and the sound of the impact reverberated throughout the underground hallways.

"Oh, you want pain?" he hissed venomously. "I'll give you pain! More than you can take!"

"Give it your best shot!" Roxas taunted.

All right, now Vanitas was successfully distracted, but unfortunately that meant that I'd been distracted too. If I hadn't turned around at that exact moment then…let's just say I wouldn't be talking right now.

But in a stroke of luck, I managed to parry Ryusei's assault as I turned in his direction. I found an opening where I managed to knee him in the gut and knock him down. I pinned him there with my hands and knees, securing his arms so he wouldn't be able to attack me, but I was having a difficult time keeping him that way. He struggled violently trying to break free from my grip.

After about half a minute, I was utterly taxed. I couldn't keep him there any longer – due to his nature, Ryusei was much stronger than I was physically. I had no choice but to let go, and immediately he lunged for me again.

Time for drastic action.

I swerved out of the way of the attack, and I full-on sprinted away from Ryusei. My heart beat in time with my footsteps as I raced along the corridor, picking up the tempo with every passing second. I could hear Ryusei pursuing me, and the tension in my chest grew. If this plan was going to work, I couldn't mess up anywhere. A lot was riding on this bet and I wasn't about to let it go to waste.

"I know that you're in there, Ryusei," I muttered to myself. "And I'm gonna bust you out, no matter what."

When I reached the very end of the hallway, I turned left and found myself in a much wider, yet somewhat shorter passage. Yes, this place was perfect.

I kept on running until I reached what I guessed was the halfway point. I then whirled around to face Ryusei, whose Keyblade was no more than an arm's length away from my chest. I lurched backward to avoid it, but I wasn't fast enough – he managed to cut me in the left side before I was able to distance myself from him. It wasn't too deep a cut, but it still stung and made me wince. I staggered, and in that precious second I'd wasted Ryusei elbowed me in the ribs so hard I coughed up blood. Man, I was sick of seeing my own blood.

What was worse, I couldn't bring myself to attack him. I kept on the defensive, not wanting to strike back. I didn't want to hurt him but he _really _wasn't making it easy for me.

All the while part of my mind flew in a dozen directions, desperate to think of a way to get Ryusei back to normal. But I was coming up empty. Not good.

Ryusei caught me in the ribs again. Hard. I was sent flying and I landed on the rough tiles much harder than I wanted to. I was scratched up all over and my chest and throat were throbbing with pain so it hurt whenever I drew breath. But thankfully I wasn't bleeding any more – that last blow had seemed more like a clubbing action than a cutting one. That thought gave me a tiny shred of hope – that maybe, just maybe, Ryusei was trying to fight off this influence subconsciously.

I fought to get back up on my feet, using my Keyblade as a brace to support myself, but I only managed to raise myself on one knee. A fire-like agony lanced through my chest, and I grimaced as I grasped the pain-filled area. A broken rib. Man, what were the odds of _that_ being the thing that crippled me?

Right as I raised my head to see where Ryusei was, I suddenly felt cold metal touching the base of my chin. He'd advanced on me and slipped around to my back without me noticing, and now he was holding the Ultima Weapon – _my_ Ultima Weapon – underneath my exposed chin, ready to slice my jugular and end me at a moment's notice.

_Now_ I was definitely out of options.

I forced myself to imagine those horrible golden eyes of his, hardened in feral anger. I knew that the Ryusei I knew and cared for was behind them somewhere, but I had no idea on how to let that part of him back out. He was so close yet so unfathomably far away. I was on the verge of hopelessness. I gritted my teeth in frustration and closed my eyes.

_Sora…!_

I let my eyes fly open with a gasp. Did I just imagine that?

_Sora…! Help…please…!_

I was too shocked to properly react because I _seriously _hadn't been expecting that, but at least now I knew that Ryusei _was_ fighting, fighting to break free. And figment of my imagination or not, his voice told me that he couldn't do it without my help.

_I hear you, Ryusei,_ I thought to myself. _Don't worry; I will _definitely_ get you back to normal, even if I have to hurt you._

With newfound resolve and a brand new crazy idea to go with it, I grabbed Ryusei's wrist and flung him against the wall. I used the momentum to back away, ignoring the intense pain throbbing all the way up to my temple as I did so. My breaths came fast and hard, and I only had a small window of opportunity to make this work. This was probably going to hurt a lot, but it was now or never.

I flew at Ryusei, who was slumped against the wall and still on his feet, and – before I could change my mind or he could get back his bearings – I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close in a tight hug.

All movements seemed to stop. All sounds faded into nothing. Everything around the two of us vanished – the only things that existed were me and Ryusei. I clung tightly to his body, which was colder than it should've been, with my eyes squeezed shut. The broken bone in my ribcage was screaming in protest as I pulled Ryusei close, but I didn't care. If embracing him without ever letting go was the only way to get him back, then that was what I was going to do. I wasn't about to let a broken bone stop me.

We stayed like that for a measureless amount of time. I had no idea how long we'd been standing there. I was ready to keel over, but I couldn't go down yet. Not without some kind of sign that Ryusei was back to normal.

Moments later, I got that sign.

I felt Ryusei's arms move underneath me, and then I felt his hands lightly touch my back. His body grew perceptibly warmer. I heard something clatter to the hard floor. Then the greatest thing happened.

He spoke.

"Sora…" Ryusei's voice was shaken, laden with fear, horror, and grief all blended together to create one broken lament.

I finally pulled away, my hands on his shoulders, so I could look at his face. His eyes were blue again; all the anger and hate that had been there were nonexistent now. But in its place, overwhelming guilt festered. His expression was one of pure, undiluted terror, but Ryusei was himself again.

All I did was smile. "You're back," I said simply.

Ryusei looked like he was about to cry. "Sora…I…I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to hurt anyone, I…I saw everything I did, and…and those weird pictures in my head were just…I just –"

He broke off when my legs suddenly gave way beneath me and I fell against him. That ordeal had been so exhausting for me that I just couldn't stay upright anymore. I'd burned through all my adrenaline and had nothing left. I would've fallen to the ground if he hadn't grabbed me and held me up.

"Sora!" he cried in both guilt and alarm as he held me steady. "I'm the one who did this to you; it was all me! I'm so – I'm so sorry!" His voice broke on the last word as he descended into sobs.

It took me a minute, but I pushed myself into a standing position with some effort, thanks in part to Ryusei acting as my support. "Hey, c'mon, there's no reason to cry," I said, smiling warmly at him. "You're back to normal. That's what's important to me right now. So cheer up; you're bumming me out."

This prompted a surprised reaction from Ryusei. He cautiously glanced at me with tear-stained eyes.

"Why…why aren't you mad at me?" he asked, his voice husky.

"Would you rather I was?" I teased lightly.

"Yes," he admitted, biting his lip. "I deserve it."

"No, you don't." I injected a bit of firmness into my tone. "You weren't yourself. You were forced into that state by Vanitas. None of this was your fault. Got that?"

Ryusei still looked uncertain. "But…"

I sighed. "Look, if you want to be punished so badly, then I'll give you a couple knocks on the head after this is all over. Now are you satisfied?"

Ryusei wiped the tears from his eyes. "Maybe a little," he muttered.

"All right then," I said. "Now that this issue is resolved, let's –"

We were interrupted when Vanitas suddenly stormed into our passage out of nowhere, Keyblade in hand. He was scratched, burned, bruised and generally very beat up. Roxas must've done quite a number on him. Despite that, he looked downright murderous. His eyes were wild and crazed, and his face was contorted into a snarl that wouldn't look out of place on an angry animal.

"This is the end of everything!" Vanitas wailed at me like a banshee, waving his hands around and looking more and more unbalanced by the second. "All my wishes! All my dreams! It's all over!" He jabbed his Keyblade at me as he drew closer and smiled sadistically. "Everything has fallen apart. My plans have been torn asunder! And you…you will pay for that, Sora! All this…all this was because of you! I'll kill you slowly, and I will savor _every_ _moment_ of it!"

I started to wonder what exactly Roxas had done to Vanitas to make him act this way, but then I decided that I didn't want to know. Some things were just better left unsaid. And besides, Vanitas had gone completely off his rocker and wanted me dead in the sickest way possible. Don't blame me for not caring all that much. I'd kind of suspected this guy to be crazy, anyway.

But either Vanitas had been lying or he was just too far gone into insanity to care, because instead of attacking me head-on like a normal crazy person would, he conjured up a giant ball of pure dark energy three/fourths of the width of the corridor itself. My eyes widened in horror – not even Vanitas was going to escape the wrath of this lethal attack. He was way too close.

What in the worlds was he trying to do?

"If I have to fall, then _you will fall with me, Sora!_" he screamed in crazed ecstasy. "_Prepare to DIE!_"

He loosed the ball, and I knew that I was going to die. There was no way I could survive this short of a miracle.

But then I felt someone pushing me away. I was tossed into the next corridor, out of the range of the blast, and as I struggled to regain my footing I realized what had just happened.

I managed to scream, "_Ryusei!_" moments before the attack connected and I was blinded by the explosion.

* * *

><p>The good news: Vanitas was gone. Plus, Ryusei was still standing, though I couldn't see how.<p>

The really bad news: he didn't stay that way for long.

The entire corridor was completely devastated, like a bomb had tried to bring this place down but hadn't been completely successful. Dirt, rocks, and shards of tile shrapnel and glass littered pretty much the entire passageway. But I didn't care about that.

"Ryusei!" I cried out. I wanted to run to him, but my legs wouldn't respond.

Ryusei turned. His entire body was smoking from the aftermath of the energy ball, and his clothes had been charred. He was cut from the flying shrapnel and burned all over. Blood dripped from his face and arms to the ground. A weak smile played across his ruined face when he laid his eyes on me.

"Sora," I could hear him whisper even from this distance. "You're okay…" He suddenly groaned and staggered as his wounds took their toll, causing him to fall back.

I had never run so fast before in my life.

I reached Ryusei just in time to catch him before he hit the ground. I knelt carefully so that his head would be on my lap.

Ryusei coughed once and stared up at me wearily. His expression…he looked so tired. Exhausted. My heart clenched painfully, in both grief and anger.

"Why?" I demanded, feeling the tears well in my eyes. "Why did you take the hit for me?! Vanitas was trying to get _me!_"

"Because…" Ryusei's breath was getting shallower by the second. "You'd do the same…for me…"

"That doesn't excuse what you did!" I yelled. I lowered my head, and my tears began to flow. "How could…how could I let this happen? This is my fault!"

"Hey, c'mon now…" He managed an amused grin. "It's not your fault. I'm the one who pushed you away. It's not like you…abandoned me or anything." He winced. "Besides…this is for the best."

"How…how can you think like that?" I raised him up so that I was cradling his head with my arms. "Where did you get that stupid idea? What good will it do for anyone if you die?!"

"Worlds," Ryusei breathed. His eyes were half-closed. "Worlds of good. I was…never meant to exist, anyway."

I drew in a shuddering breath. So he remembered now. He remembered everything. But why…why did it have to be now? _Why?_ It wasn't fair!

"Sora…" He touched my left hand, which was gripping his left shoulder and acting as his support, with his right. His hand was ice-cold. "I appreciate everything you did…from forgiving me…to taking me in…and then accepting me as family…" Tears of his own began to form in Ryusei's eyes as he smiled sadly. "That was…definitely the highest point of my life….even if it was really short."

"No, Ryusei; stop talking like that," I said frantically, my words coming out faster than normal in my panic. "I'm not going to let you do this! I can't let you end it this way!"

"But I have to," he reminded me. "It's the…right thing to do. You have to understand."

"No." I shook my head. "Please, no. I can't do this, Ryusei; I can't –"

"Then…can you do me a favor? Just one?"

"Anything," I said shakily, my tears dripping onto Ryusei's bloodied cheeks. "I'll do anything."

Ryusei smiled ruefully, like he was about to ask for something embarrassing. Then he shut his eyes and said quietly, "Please hold me close…just one more time."

So I did. I pulled his frigid body closer to mine and embraced him that way, my head over his left shoulder. I could feel his heartbeat becoming feebler and slower by the second.

"Don't worry, Sora," Ryusei promised in my ear with barely a whisper. "I'll always be with you."

I couldn't breathe. "Ryusei…" I gasped.

With what seemed to be the last of his strength, he raised his left hand and touched my shoulder lightly with his blood-encrusted fingers. Then he spoke these words:

"See you soon…big bro."

Then his hand slipped off my shoulder, and all of a sudden he wasn't there anymore. Ryusei dissolved into a cascade of bright blue-white pyreflies that dissipated in the air, and now my arms held nothing. I felt my chest grow warmer for a moment before that warm energy coursed through my entire being. And just as suddenly as it had come, the warmth disappeared.

I pressed my hand gently against the place where my heart was and began to slowly understand that feeling. Of course…Ryusei had been born from my soul. That was where he would go back to. This meant…he wasn't dead. Not quite.

"Sora!"

I started. In the midst of everything that had happened, I'd nearly forgotten that Roxas and Riku were still here. I raised my head with difficulty as they drew near from the corridor I'd been tossed into. I don't know what my face looked like, but both Roxas and Riku looked alarmed at my current state.

"Sora, are you feeling okay?" Riku asked me urgently, grabbing my shoulders. "What's wrong? What happened here?"

Roxas scanned our immediate surroundings. "Riku woke up just as Vanitas decided to high-tail it to where you were. We heard the explosion and tried to come as fast as we could, but the force of it made the hall cave in and blocked the closest path. We had to loop around the long way." Roxas frowned in confusion. "Wait, that's odd. Where's Ryusei? Wasn't he with you?"

I clenched my hands into fists. "It should've been me," I muttered. "Not him. It was never supposed to be him." My voice cracked.

Riku shook me once. "What are you talking about, Sora? What happened to Ryusei?"

"He pushed me away from the explosion," I said. "He – he took the hit for me instead…"

Roxas began to look genuinely concerned. "Sora, you're not making any sense. You're scaring us. Where is he?"

My throat felt dry. When I spoke again, my voice sounded husky and hollow, even to me. "Ryusei…Ryusei isn't around anymore," I said, not meeting their eyes. "He's gone. But…"

I tightened the fist above my heart and said quietly, "He's still here…with me."

* * *

><p><em>Oh, God. I just <em>had _to make Vanitas go bonkers and suicidal at the end. I am _so_ sorry. And the ending is just about the saddest thing I've ever written, except maybe my Tsubasa oneshot. I liked Ryusei a lot; I'm going to miss him so much. And I'm sure I'm not alone in this. ;A; (I feel like the ending is lacking something...but I'm not sure what, so I can't fix it right now unfortunately.)_

_Thus my first and most successful fanfic comes to a close. Thank you guys so much for sticking with me to the end, especially through those month-long gaps of no updates. You're the best. I hope this met your expectations._

_Stay tuned for my next story, a KH crossover, which will happen sometime around Christmas! Thank you all, and goodbye for now!_


	24. Epilogue: Within Half A Year

"_Whoa! An update?! I thought this fic was over! :o"_

_Well, it is. Kind of. See, I did intend to finish this with that final chapter, but a couple people asked me for an epilogue to add to the story. So I up and wrote this while on vacation. It's a bit short, but I hope you still like it. :)_

**Epilogue: Within Half A Year**

"Sora!"

I turned around to see Kairi dashing over the bridge in my direction. Her face was flushed and she looked completely winded, like she'd run five miles before finding me here. Her expression was a strange mix of relief and concern as she slowed to a stop when she drew near, holding her chest and trying to catch her breath. Needless to say I was surprised to see her.

"Kairi!" I said, my voice a tad higher due to surprise. "What happened to you? What's the matter?"

"Looking for you," she answered me, catching her breath. "Riku and I were worried about you."

I started. "Oh," I said. I turned away from her and stared out at the ocean. The sky was turning a brilliant orange and red from the setting sun, and the color reflected off the waves, making the entire island take on a reddish glow. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to make you worry. But I'm fine."

I heard Kairi step closer to me and felt her warm fingers wrap around mine. I still didn't look at her. My eyes grazed over the waves, the beach, the sky – anywhere but her face. Even if it hurt.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked me, her voice gentle.

"Yeah," I answered a little too quickly. "Honest."

Silence hung in the air, and I could feel Kairi's eyes boring into me along with her skepticism. Her grip on my hand tightened, and I knew that she'd seen through me immediately. I shouldn't have even tried. I'd never been a good liar.

"You were thinking about him again." Just that. A statement. No accusation or underlying disappointment in her tone. So typical of her to talk that way. Hearing that one sentence completely unblemished by any negative cast hurt me more than it would have if it had.

I bit my lip. "What gave you that idea?"

"We're not blind, Sora," she said insistently. "You haven't been yourself ever since you came back from that lab. Something happened back there, didn't it? Something not even Riku and Roxas know about? How are we supposed to help you if you insist on keeping us in the dark like this?"

I snatched my hand out of hers and turned my back to her completely. I locked my gaze onto the scarlet waves below as I mumbled, "You can't, Kairi; I…I don't want to talk about it."

"Sora, please." Kairi's voice became pleading. "Stop this. You have to stop tormenting yourself the way you are; it isn't fair to you or anyone else if you keep acting this way!"

"Maybe so." I raised my hand and stared at it, and clenched it into a fist. "Maybe it isn't fair for any of them. But as for me…it's completely justified. If only I'd done something; then he would be…" I trailed off, my voice catching.

Kairi's tone slipped into helplessness. "Sora…"

"Kairi…I haven't told you anything because I didn't want you to know what it's like for me right now," I confessed, my voice shaking. "Every little thing reminds me of him. I haven't been able to enjoy the sunset for months now since all I see when I look at it is his blood. I can't bring myself to use the Keyblade anymore because we both used the same one and looking at it only hurts me. I can't even look into a mirror once without seeing his face instead of mine. Every morning I wake up, I'm reminded in some way that he's gone. I don't want to have you go through that, too. Not you…or anyone else. It's not right."

When I finished, I waited for the rebuttal that I was sure was coming this way. But oddly enough, Kairi was quiet. Then she surprised me by stepping directly in front of me and grabbing my shoulders so that I couldn't look away from her. She had a no-nonsense look on her face, and that scared me.

"Listen to _me_ now, Sora," she ordered, "since I was kind enough to offer you that service. In case you haven't realized, you aren't the only one who's ever cared about him!" Her eyes started to water. "We all loved him, Sora – me, Riku, Roxas, and Naminé…Terra, Ven, and Aqua, too – we all loved him like family as much as you did! We still do, and we all miss him too! But it's important to remember the time we spent with him, no matter how brief it was! But with you, it's like – I just get the feeling that you want to forget about him!"

I winced. A lance through the center of my heart wouldn't have hurt more than what she'd just said. I'd never realized it, but now that her words were now out in the open that epiphany came to me insultingly easily, like: _How the heck did you not see that?_

Was she right? Was I really trying to forget about him so that my heart wouldn't have to deal with any more of the pain? Was that the reason that I'd kept shying away from all the things that had had the potential to make my mind go in his direction? All because I didn't want to remember him anymore?

A second lance struck as I took in her words fully. How could I have forgotten something as important as that? Of course I couldn't have been the only one to care. How had I acquired that selfish and self-centered mindset? Something that would've been common sense to me normally now had to be a revelation when it wasn't supposed to be.

"See, you do realize, don't you?" Her voice became somewhat softer. "We all know how you feel, Sora. We really do. You being down on us about this is just making it harder for all of us, especially you. How could you forget that?"

I cracked a smile, even though I had no idea how I was feeling at the moment and therefore couldn't find a reason for this expression. "I'm sorry," I said again, taking her hands off my shoulders and holding them in mine. I could still feel the smile in place. "You're right; I shouldn't have forgotten. Thanks for reminding me of that, Kairi. What would I do without you?"

Kairi gave me a relieved smile before moving in for a quick hug. "You're completely hopeless without me," she teased me as she pulled away, her mood instantly lighter. "Just remember that if you need to get something off your chest, we're here for you, okay?"

My emotions were still mixed, but I somehow managed a chuckle. "Right. I won't forget this time. I promise."

"You promise?" she asked to confirm.

"I promise," I repeated for good measure.

"Good to know." Suddenly the relieved expression melted off her face to reveal one of hesitation, and I instantly grew worried. What else was wrong?

"Sora, I just want to say something…" Kairi's face was unreadable as she slowly began to run her fingers through my hair, her eyes not leaving my face. "I know that you want to see him again, no matter how much you promise that you're okay. But I want you to know that…that he's still with you, even if he's gone now. Can you remember that for me?"

I nodded. Of course I knew that, and there was no chance of me forgetting about it anytime soon – those had been part of his final words to me, after all. Not that anyone knew. Kairi probably thought she was simply giving me words of encouragement. If only she knew the enormity of what she'd just told me…

She lifted her hand away and smiled again. "Just wanted to make sure. So, do you want to go back now? It's getting late and your parents are worried about you."

I shook my head. "Actually, I…want to stay a little longer," I admitted. "You know…to think on a couple things. So could you, um, let my parents know that I'll be home later tonight? I don't want them to worry…more than before, I mean."

Kairi looked reluctant, and I couldn't blame her. I'd been beating myself up pretty hard in her eyes, and she was hesitant about leaving me alone. I gave her a nod and a reassuring smile, in order to relay the message that I'd be fine.

She got the message.

"Well…okay then," she said at last. "I'll let them know. Don't be too long okay? Or else I'll come out looking for you."

"I won't be long," I assured her, giving her a quick peck on the forehead. "No need to worry. Just go on ahead."

At my urging Kairi started to back away toward the bridge, not taking her still-concerned eyes off me before she finally turned around and crossed it. I watched her run across the beach in the direction where we'd normally dock our rowboats until I couldn't see her anymore. But my eyes continued to linger on the spot where she'd vanished from view, and let my mind wander on its own.

I could still hear his final words in my head: _See you soon._ To this day, after all these months, I still couldn't understand why he'd said that. I knew he wasn't technically dead or gone, but how was I supposed to see him again when I had no possible means to make it happen? Had he known something that I didn't?

My mind was distracted when I turned to stare out at the ocean again, but I was still able to notice that something – no, some_one_ – was obstructing my view, standing in the shadow of a palm tree with his back to me. Okay, I wasn't totally shocked at this, since something to this effect happened to me several times before, but I _was_ a bit wary. Every time something like this happened, it usually didn't end well for me. Plus it was getting darker since the sun was more than halfway set by this time, and I couldn't tell who it was, upping my uneasiness.

When I took a second look at this person, I realized with a start that he wasn't all there. I could swear that I could see right through the body. I seriously hoped I wasn't staring at a ghost. They're creepy. Monsters I can handle. At least I know that they're actually there. Ghosts are corporeal and I have no idea how I would go about dealing with them if I actually happened to see one.

I took a step back, just to be on the safe side as I stuttered uneasily, "Wh-who…?"

The figure in the shadows turned in my direction at the sound of my voice immediately, like he'd been waiting for me to speak. He stepped out of the shade of the tree and his features became visible. My heart just about skipped a beat or three when he did, and immediately kicked into overdrive. I forgot to take a couple more steps back in lieu of a gasp of astonishment, and I couldn't breathe for almost over half a minute. Then from my lips came the name I believed that I'd never hear myself say again.

"Ryusei?"

It was definitely him. How could I have mistaken him for anyone else, even if he'd been a silhouette just a moment ago? He looked exactly like me. His hair, his facial features, his clothes – they were all identical to mine. He was wearing that unique grin of his, one that no one but I had seen in all the times I'd spent with him. The corners of his lips were turned up in that special way so that it was nervous, appreciative, and endearing all rolled into one.

I don't know how long we stood that way, but that entire period of time was completely silent. Neither of us spoke. I would have said something sooner if my breath hadn't been stuck in my throat that whole time. I wanted to move closer to him, but my legs wouldn't listen to me and just kept shaking. I only managed to reach out to him halfway.

At last I found my voice. My articulacy was lost in my utter shock, however. All I could do was stammer, "How…how…?"

He still didn't say anything, still smiling at me and his warm eyes not leaving my face. Then he proceeded to do something that I never would've seen him do alive.

He winked and gave me a thumbs-up and a comforting nod.

My breath got trapped in my throat again.

He turned around again as he raised a hand like he was saying goodbye. Before I could even think about mustering the words, "Don't go!" he turned his back to me and vanished without a trace. I was alone again, now in the dead of night.

I couldn't move. I was numb from pure incredulity. Had I really just seen that? I hadn't been hallucinating, right? It hadn't been a dream?

After a couple minutes, I was able to calm down enough to think straight. I tried to think – the probability of something like that happening to me by mere chance? Not that high. Hallucination? No, not possible. I wasn't sick _or_ tired. Subconscious wish?

…Well, maybe.

But even through all my attempts at rationalizing, I knew deep down that it hadn't been any of those things. I knew it from the sudden warmth in my chest that flared up then died out like a candle being blown out, the feeling that I had almost forgotten in these long months.

He'd been worried about me; that was all. He'd wanted to help me cheer up by showing me that not all was lost. There was still hope for him, and he'd wanted me to remember that. It was definitely something that he would have done for me even when he was still alive.

_Everything is going to be okay._

For the first time in a long time, a huge weight had lifted away from my shoulders. I could finally stop blaming myself. I could finally act like myself again without having to fake it. I could finally stop moaning over him being gone because now I knew that he wouldn't want that.

Now I could finally start counting the days in my future until I could see Ryusei again.

* * *

><p><em>Welp, there you go; the epilogue. Hope it was enjoyable and satisfying. I know that there had been a significant lack of a scene with these two together in this fic, so what better place to rectify that than this epic epilogue? :) Okay, bye for real now, watch for my update for That One Side of You sometime this week, and Happy New Years' Eve! :D<em>

_Thank you again for reading this to the end!_


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